Phosphotungstic acid on zirconia-modified silica as catalyst for oxidative desulfurization

Abstract

H₃PW₁₂O₄₀/ZrO₂–SiO₂ catalyst was successfully prepared by immobilizing phosphotungstic acid (H₃PW₁₂O₄₀, HPW) on zirconia-modified silica and employed as a catalyst for oxidative desulfurization (ODS). Under the optimal reaction conditions, the sulfur removal rate from dibenzothiophene was nearly 100%. In addition, the catalyst can be recycled up to 19 times without notable reduction in catalytic activity for the ODS process. The HPW/ZrO₂–SiO₂ catalyst shows excellent catalytic activity for oxidative reactions, due to the strong interaction between the active HPW and ZrO₂–SiO₂ support.