MoOx nanoclusters decorated on spinel-type transition metal oxide porous nanosheets for aerobic oxidative desulfurization of fuels

Abstract

Aerobic oxidative desulfurization (AODS) represents an economical and sustainable way for desulfurization of petroleum fractions, which calls for high-performance catalysts to convert thiophene sulfides into sulfones under mild temperatures. In this work, we report that MoOx nanoclusters decorated on spinel-type porous metal oxide nanosheets can be utilized as an efficient and durable catalyst for the AODS reactions. We show that the electronic structure of the MoOx nanoclusters can be effectively modulated by the metal oxide carriers, and thereby identify the Mo(V) species to be the active center in this reaction. The optimal process with MoOx/CuCo2O4 as the catalyst, air under atmospheric pressure as an oxidant source could drive the aerobic transformation of dibenzothiophene at 90 °C with a turnover frequency of 16.2 h−1. Moreover, no catalytic performance attenuation and chemical structure deformation are observed in the six successive reuses. This work provides both fundamental and practical insights into the development of highly active and stable nanocluster catalysts.