The Effect of Mesoporous Structure of the Support on the Oxidation of Dibenzothiophene.

A source of Brønsted acid centers, generated on the surface of two mesoporous silica supports of different structures (SBA-15 and MCF), was 3-(trihydroxysilyl)-1-propanesufonic acid (TPS). The materials obtained were characterized and applied as catalysts for the oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) with hydrogen peroxide as a model ODS (oxidative desulfurization) process. The properties of the materials were examined via nitrogen physisorption, XRD (X-ray Diffraction) and elemental analysis showing the preservation of the support structure after modification with organosilane species. Due to the aggregation of catalyst particles in the reaction mixture, the SBA-15 based catalyst was not very effective in DBT oxidation. Contrary, TPS/MCF catalyst exhibited a very good activity (almost total conversion of DBT after 1 h in optimized reaction conditions) and stability in dibenzothiophene oxidation in mild reaction conditions.