One-pot synthesis of ordered mesoporous silica encapsulated polyoxometalate-based ionic liquids induced efficient desulfurization of organosulfur in fuel

Abstract

In this work, a novel hybrid material of an ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) encapsulated polyoxometalate-based ionic liquid [C₄mim]₃PW₁₂O₄₀ (C₄-IL) was successfully fabricated through a one-pot hydrothermal process, and firstly employed in the oxidative desulfurization of organosulfur. The as-prepared material OMS encapsulated C₄-IL (C₄-IL@OMS) was systematically characterized by Fourier transform infrared, Raman, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, nitrogen absorption–desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The designed material exhibited robust activity for removing sulfur-containing compounds under mild conditions due to the high dispersion of C₄-IL in OMS and lager specific surface area of the catalyst. ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance and ultraviolet-visible spectrum were employed to evaluate the stability of the catalyst after the reaction. Additionally, the sulfur removal of the hybrid material C₄-IL@OMS could still reach 93% after recycling seven times without obvious decrease in activity.