Abstract
•Simple, low cost and ready to use poly(methyl methacrylate) based membranes for adsorptive desulfurization.•Combing molecular imprinting and nickel sulfide nanoparticles as affinity materials for dibenzothiophene recognition.•Adsorptive removal efficiency more than 90% for dibenzothiophene of concentration as low as 1 ppmw.•Suitable for ultra-deep desulfurization of dibenzothiophene.•Desulfurization at ambient conditions without using hydrogen gas and expensive catalyst.
The ultra-deep desulfurization of crude oil to produce cleaner transportation fuels is essential for environmental protection. In this study, we present the development of molecularly imprinted poly(methyl methacrylate) (MIP)-based affinity membranes for adsorptive desulfurization of fuels. Hydrothermally-prepared nickel sulfide (NiS) nanoparticles are integrated into DBTh-imprinted polymer (MIP) to prepare MIP-NiS hybrid membranes with enhanced desulfurization capability. The surface morphology of non-imprinted (NIP), MIP and MIP-NiS hybrid membranes is studied by atomic force microscopy, which reveals the microstructure of MIP and finely dispersed NiS nanoparticles in the MIP matrix. The adsorptive removal of DBTh from n-hexane solution is investigated. The results indicated the removal of DBTh down to 1 ppmw with MIP-NiS hybrid membrane that is an order of magnitude superior to conventional hydrodesulfurization techniques (i.e. ~10 ppmw). The post-polymerization DBTh-imprinting effects of MIP combined with NiS-DBTh affinity interactions in MIP-NiS hybrid membranes offer the effective (97%) recognition and removal of DBTh at 1 ppmw.