Oxidative Desulfurization of Fuels Catalyzed by V2O5in Ionic Liquids at Room Temperature

Abstract

An extraction and catalytic oxidation desulfurization (ECODS) system composed of V2O5, 30 wt % H2O2 and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim]BF4) as the basic experiment was used for the removal of DBT from the model oil at moderate temperature (30 °C). In the reaction process, V2O5 was oxidized by H2O2 into peroxovanadium compounds. Meanwhile, the sulfur-containing compounds, such as benzothiophene (BT), dibenzothiophene (DBT), and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT), were extracted into ionic liquid (IL) from the model oil and oxidized into their corresponding sulfones by peroxovanadium compounds. The reactivity of sulfur-containing compounds in the ECODS followed this order: DBT > BT > 4,6-DMDBT. In the case of ECODS, the sulfur removal of DBT can reach 98.7%, which was superior to that of the simple extraction with IL (16.5%) or the catalytic oxidation (2.8%). This ECODS system could be recycled seven times without a significant decrease in activity.