The ordered mesoporous TS-1 synthesized with geometrically matched surfactant and its application in the deep oxidative desulfurization

Abstract

Deep oxidative desulfurization from hydrocarbon fuels has attracted an extensive attention of researchers owing to it can be reduced the toxic sulfur dioxide emissions efficiently during combustion. In this work, we identify the ordered mesoporous structure of hierarchical TS-1 as a key factor in enhancing catalytic performance for oxidative desulfurization reactions. We synthesized an intracrystalline ordered mesoporous TS-1 catalyst by introducing a geometrically compatible surfactant containing a diquaternary ammonium group, an azobenzene segment, and an appropriately sized hydrophobic alkyl tail. The developed hierarchical TS-1 catalyst exhibits superior catalytic activity in the oxidative reaction of dibenzothiophene across various temperatures, outperforming several typical hierarchical porous TS-1 catalysts reported in the literature, even at a lower reaction temperature of 30 °C. This innovative ordered mesoporous TS-1 not only presents a promising catalyst for future deep desulfurization applications but also introduces a novel strategy for designing efficient hierarchical catalytic materials through structural optimization.