π-Acceptor-functionalized particles: Synthesis, characterization and effect of cross-linking agents on adsorptive removal of nitrogen- and sulfur-compounds from light gas oil

This work investigated the effect of cross-linking agents on the efficiency and selectivity of functionalized polymers toward the removal of nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds from gas-oil. The following polymeric supports with increasing particles size were synthesized: poly(glycidyl methacrylate) [PGMA], poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) [PGMA-co-EGDMA] and poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate)[PGMA-co-TMPTMA]. Diaminopropane (DAP) and tetra-nitro-9-fluorenone (TENF) were utilized as a linker and a pi-acceptor moiety, respectively. Particles were fully characterized using different methods including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), etc. Results showed that the particles with the larger spherical beads [PGMA-co-TMPTMA-DAP(3)-TENF] gave the highest nitrogen and sulfur adsorption. (C) 2016 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.