Oxidative Desulfurization of Fuels Catalyzed by V2O5 in Ionic Liquids at Room Temperature

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 degrees 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.