LAUSR

Abstract Oxidative desulfurization (ODS) process was applied to model oil (thiophene derivatives dissolved in dodecane) using nanoball {Mo132} and nanoball supported on graphene oxide as a catalyst and hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant. In the present study, the {Mo132} and {Mo132}/GO have been prepared and used as nano-catalysts for ODS process. The properties of the prepared catalysts were identified using UV, XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, HR-TEM, TGA and SBET techniques. The representative sulfur compounds such as DBT (500 ppm) was chosen to prepare the model fuel. Catalytic ODS performance of the {Mo132} and {Mo132}/GO catalysts was investigated under various conditions such as time, temperature, O/S molar ratio and the amount of catalyst. After oxidation, sulfur removal reach 96 and 99 for {Mo132} and {Mo132}/GO catalysts, respectively as measured by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Effectively of polyoxometalate catalyst for ODS formed by the nucleophilic attack of hydrogen peroxide on Mo(V),(VI) atoms of the polyoxometalates that form perox-complexes in the system (highly selective and effective oxidants). The oxidation proceeds by nucleophilic attack of an active catalyst to divalent sulfur of DBT to form hexavalent sulfur as sulfone that more polar and easily soluble in acetonitrile. The kinetic study shows that the oxidative desulfurization data of DBT were fitted to a pseudo-first-order rate reaction. The activation energy of DBT in case of {Mo132} and {Mo132}/GO are 13.54 and 10.475 KJ mol− 1, respectively.