Transition metal-mediated desulfurization of aromatic sulfur compounds

Conference · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Pet. Chem., Prepr.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5254134

Eisch, J J; Im, K R; Hallenbeck, L E

The presence of organic sulfur in various coals and crude petroleum stocks constitutes a serious problem in producing environmentally acceptable fuels. Accordingly, a worthy objective of fuel research would be to discover energy-efficient ways of cleaving organic sulfur bonds in coal, petroleum or ther derived liquids, so as to minimize atmospheric pollution caused by organic sulfide or mercaptan contaminants in fuels. Since existing desulfurization procedures generally require elevated temperatures, high pressures of hydrogen and the use of heterogeneous catalysts, a search has been launched for desulfurization processes effective under milder conditions, namely those involving homogeneous transition-metal agents. In order to learn more about the fundamental chemistry of carbon-sulfur bond cleavages by transition metals, we have chosen as substrates those aromatic sulfur compounds that are typical of the stable organic sulfur constituents found in coal tar or petroleum stocks, namely dibenzothiophene (Ia), phenoxathiin (Ib), phenothiazine (Ic) and thianthrene (Id), as well as various open-chain sulfides (Ar-S-Ar) and mercaptans (ArSH). Although some soluble nickel (O) complexes, such as bis (1,5-cyclooctadiene) nickel (O), are unreactive in desulfurization, a change of the ligands about nickel causes a striking rise in reactivity. With the aromatic sulfur heterocycles (Ib-Id), either desulfurization with ring contraction or hydrodesulfurization could be achieved, depending on the reaction conditions (1,2). Recent findings on the mechanisms of these unusual desulfurizations are reported.

• Research Organization: State Univ. of New York, Binghamton
• OSTI ID: 5254134
• Report Number(s): CONF-800303-(Vol.25No.2)
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Pet. Chem., Prepr.; (United States) Journal Volume: 25:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010402* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Purification & Upgrading
02 PETROLEUM
020400 -- Petroleum-- Processing
AROMATICS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COAL TAR
COMPLEXES
DESULFURIZATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
KINETICS
NICKEL COMPLEXES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
REACTION KINETICS
REMOVAL
TAR
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPLEXES