Nickel impregnated graphene oxide catalyst for the desulfurization of transportation fuels using NaClO/H2O2 oxidants

Abstract

Herein, graphene oxide (GO) and nickel (Ni) impregnated GO (Ni/GO) catalysts were synthesized in combination with NaClO/H2O2 mixture for the oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of model and transportation oils. The as-synthesized catalysts were analyzed via FT-IR, XRD, SEM, BET, and EDX techniques, which revealed that Ni was successfully impregnated over GO surface, which not only increased the surface area and pore volume of the parent GO but also increased the surface functionalities that can adsorb more DBT species. Catalytic results showed that Ni/GO-NaClO/H2O2 system can convert 96% DBT to oxides (1,000 ppm) (sulfur content removed from 173.5 to 17.35) in 90 min at 45 °C using 0.03 g catalyst and 2 mL NaClO/H2O2 (2:2) mixture. Whereas the DBT conversion in gasoline, diesel, and kerosene reached 87%, 66%, and 61%, respectively, at the same optimized conditions and the system was reproducible for five consecutive times with promising ODS activity. The current study credited to its environmental benignity, ease of preparation, and cost-effectiveness could be of great prospect for the industrial-scale processing of transportation oils.