Catalytic performance of vanadium-substituted molybdophosphoric acid supported on zirconium modified mesoporous silica in oxidative desulfurization

11-Molybdo-vanadophosphoric acid supported on zirconium modified mesoporous silica (SBA-15) material was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and N-2 physical adsorption-desorption (BET) techniques. Under mild reaction conditions, the mentioned material exhibited high catalytic activity and reusability in oxidative desulfurization (ODS) reaction of model oil which was prepared by dissolving dibenzothiophene (DBT) in n-hexane. FT-IR and mass analysis showed that the main product of the DBT oxidation is its corresponding sulfone, which was adsorbed on the surfaces of zirconium-coated SBA-15. Therefore the desulfurization of the model oil was completed by filtration of the catalyst solid phase from the liquid phase. An empirical kinetic model was used to fit the rate data. The activation energy was found to be 15.92 kJ/mol. (C) 2014 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.