SBA-15 Type Mesoporous Silica Modified with Vanadium as a Catalyst for Oxidative and Extractive Oxidative Desulfurization Processes.

One of the current challenges is the reduction of sulfur emitted into the atmosphere, usually in the form of sulfur oxides generated by fossil fuel combustion. To achieve this goal, the sulfur content should be reduced in fuel. In this context, vanadium-containing materials based on SBA-15 mesoporous silica supports and two different sources of vanadium were prepared, characterized, and applied as catalysts for oxidative desulfurization (CODS) and extractive oxidative desulfurization processes (ECODSs). The novelty of this work was the comparative study of vanadium-containing materials in two desulfurization systems. The properties of the catalysts, the concentration and state of vanadium species, and their role in the catalytic process were examined by low-temperature nitrogen physisorption, XRD, UV-Vis, XPS, and chemisorption of pyridine combined with FTIR spectroscopy. The catalytic performance of the material prepared using ammonium metavanadate was superior to that of the catalyst obtained using vanadium(IV) oxide sulfate, which was explained by a higher concentration of vanadium species on the surface of the support and their lower oxidation state in the former. Both types of catalysts showed high activity and stability in the ECODS process.