Deep desulfurization of transportation fuels via pi-complexation adsorption is an effective method for selective capture of aromatic sulfur compounds. Since desulfurization of transportation fuels proceeds in liquid phase, separation and recycling of adsorbents should be largely facilitated if the adsorbents were endowed with magnetism. In the present study, magnetically responsive core-shell pi-complexation adsorbent microspheres, Ag(I)/Fe3O4@mSiO2, which comprises a core of magnetite particles and a shell of mesoporous silica dispersed with Ag(I) active species, was developed. The silica shell exhibits highly open mesopores with perpendicularly aligned pore channels, and Ag(I) species can be well dispersed in the pores of silica shell. Our results show that the adsorbent is active in adsorptive removal of a typical aromatic sulfur, thiophene, via pi-complexation under ambient conditions. More importantly, the superparamagnetism allows the adsorbent to be separated conveniently from adsorption system in several seconds by use of an external field, and the adsorptive activity can well preserved even after six cycles.

Fabrication of magnetically responsive core-shell adsorbents for desulfurization

251st National Meeting (2016)

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