Molecular recognition with cyclodextrin polymer: a novel method for removing sulfides efficiently

Abstract

A series of cyclodextrin polymers (CDPs) were synthesized and they were used for removing different sulfides by molecular recognition. Different CDPs showed a higher desulfurization efficiency for sulfides with an aromatic ring structure than those with an aliphatic chain structure. For different cyclodextrin polymers, β-CDP has a more suitable cavity size for removing DBT. Moreover, it has a good synergetic effect of adjacent cyclodextrin cavities and good electronic interactions with DBT. For these reasons, β-CDP showed the best desulfurization performance, in particular it has good performance for deep desulfurization by forming inclusion complexes and excellent selectivity for removing DBT. Meanwhile, the β-CDP showed good regeneration performance. Various characterization measurements were used to characterize the β-CDP before and after desulfurization of DBT, the results of which showed that it had advantages of wide application temperature range and good structure stability before and after desulfurization. Finally, a molecular recognition mechanism for removing sulfides efficiently was proposed.