Catalytic oxidation of benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene in model light oil Ti-MWW

An oxidative desulfurization process for model light oil over Ti-MWW was studied. Benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene were oxidized to their corresponding sulfoxides and sulfones, which can be removed by extraction using acetonitrile. The conversion of benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene was 100 and 95%, respectively, at 343 K. Under the same conditions, the conversion of benzothiophene in three solvents decreased in the order acetonitrile > methanol > water. When dibenzothiophene was used as the reactant, biphenyl was detected in the reaction mixture. Ti-MWW was a much more active catalyst than TS-1 for the oxidation of benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene in light oil.