Copper(II)-β-cyclodextrin and CuO functionalized graphene oxide composite for fast removal of thiophenic sulfides with high efficiency

Zunbin Duan; Mei Zhang; He Bian; Yan Wang; Lijun Zhu; Yuzhi Xiang; Daohong Xia

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115385

Copper(II)-β-cyclodextrin and CuO functionalized graphene oxide composite for fast removal of thiophenic sulfides with high efficiency

Carbohydr Polym. 2020 Jan 15:228:115385. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115385. Epub 2019 Sep 26.

Authors

Zunbin Duan¹, Mei Zhang¹, He Bian², Yan Wang¹, Lijun Zhu¹, Yuzhi Xiang¹, Daohong Xia³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China; Binzhou Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering and Safety, Binzhou University, Binzhou 256603, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China. Electronic address: xiadh@upc.edu.cn.

PMID: 31635747
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115385

Abstract

A novel copper(II)-β-cyclodextrin and CuO functionalized graphene oxide composite (CD-CuO/NH₂-GO) was successfully synthesized by reacting mono-6-O-toluenesulfonyl-copper(II)-β-cyclodextrin with amino and CuO functionalized graphene oxide. The characterization results showed that the CD-CuO/NH₂-GO was well-characterized and has a BET surface area of 746.5 m² g^-1 and good thermal stability, and CD and CuO were uniformly dispersed. The unique structure of CD-CuO/NH₂-GO is conducive to the synergistic effect of the different components, especially for the inclusion ability of CD. Benefiting from that, CD-CuO/NH₂-GO could quickly and efficiently remove the thiophenic sulfides, which are difficult to be economically removed by hydrodesulfurization. The removal efficiency for the three sulfides was in the order of benzothiophene > dibenzothiophene > thiophene. The desulfurization process of benzothiophene has the fastest desulfurization rate (0.121 g mg^-1 min^-1) and maximum sulfur capacity (12.75 mg S g^-1). The different molecular inclusion ability of CD for the thiophenic sulfides demonstrates the difference in the desulfurization of CD-CuO/NH₂-GO. The work highlights the synthesis and the potential application in fuel desulfurization of supramolecular GO composite nanomaterials.

Keywords: Benzothiophene; Copper(II)-β-cyclodextrin; Desulfurization; Functionalized graphene oxide; Molecular inclusion.