Oxidative Desulfurization: Oxidation Reactivity of Sulfur Compounds in Different Organic Matrixes

Sulfur oxidation appears a very promising route for obtaining ultralow-sulfur fuels requested worldwide by the new regulation mandates. In this work, the oxidizing system constituted by hydrogen peroxide and formic acid was used to study the influence of the solvent on the oxidation rate of sulfur compounds in the organic phase. The experimentation was performed on organic sulfur compounds selected as representative of those contained in crude distillates. The organic solvent seems to play an important role in the reaction kinetics, indicating a strong influence of its aromaticity on the oxidation rate. A different kinetic was found for heterocyclic sulfur compounds such as benzo- and dibenzothiophene when compared with thiols and sulfides, indicating for the last ones a more complex reaction path.