Direct preparation of [(CH3)(3)NC16H33](4)Mo8O26 and its catalytic performance in oxidative desulfurization

The catalyst [(CH3)(3)NC16H33](4)Mo8O26 has been synthesized by a direct precipitation method under room conditions from commercially available (NH4)(6)Mo7O24 center dot 4H(2)O and (CH3)(3)NC16H33Cl, avoiding the use of any toxic organic solvents. The catalyst was employed in oxidative desulfurization using H2O2 as an oxidant under mild conditions. High dibenzothiophene (DBT) removal (99.4%) was achieved after an adsorption process to remove the residual DBT sulfone (DBTO2), and the catalyst could be used for at least nine cycles without a noticeable decrease in activity. Leaching of Mo species was found to be negligible during the reaction. Moreover, it was found that the sulfur removal remained unchanged, decreased slightly or dramatically in the presence of 10 wt% n-octene, para-xylene or naphthalene, respectively, which was attributed to the different solubilities of DBTO2 in these solvents. The reaction system was further applied for the desulfurization of a kerosene-range jet fuel and a diesel fuel. After oxidation and extraction, 86.4% and 93.2% sulfur removals were derived for the diesel fuel and jet fuel, respectively.