Oxidative desulfurization of diesel fuel with caprolactam-based acidic deep eutectic solvents: Tailoring the reactivity of DESs by adjusting the composition

Abstract Despite the significance of hydrogen bonding in deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for desulfurization processes, little is understood about the relationship between the DES composition, hydrogen-bonding strength, and oxidative desulfurization activity. In this study, a new family of caprolactam-based acidic DESs was prepared with different molar ratios of caprolactam and oxalic acid. The prepared DESs were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance, and thermogravimetric analyses. These DESs were employed for oxidative desulfurization reactions and the desulfurization efficiency was found to vary regularly with the DES composition. The factors influencing the removal of dibenzothiophene were systematically investigated and the desulfurization efficiency of the caprolactam-based acidic DESs reached as high as 98% under optimal conditions. The removal of different sulfur compounds followed the order: dibenzothiophene > 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene > benzothiophene. The combined experimental data and characterization results revealed that the oxidative desulfurization efficiency of the system was influenced by the hydrogen bonding interactions with the DES, which can be optimized by adjusting the DES composition. These findings regarding hydrogen bonding in DESs provide new insight for better understanding of the mechanism of diesel deep desulfurization processes.