Reductive desulfurization of thiophene and benzothiophene over nickel boride using in situ generated hydrogen

A new desulfurization of thiophene(T) and benzothiophene(BT) using in situ generated hydrogen was evaluated.The results showed that hydrogen and nickel boride in situ generated from reaction of nickel chloride with reducing reagent in protic solvent and 0.64 g reducing reagent were developed with a desulfurization efficiency of more than 99%.The desulfurization of T and BT on metal boride proceeded through the direct hydrogenolysis of C—S bond basically,and the desulfurization of a small quantity of BT proceeded through the hydrogenation route.The probably reaction mechanism is deduced that the hydrogen is firstly adsorbed and activated on the surface of nickel boride,and the sulfur compounds are adsorbed on the active sites via "end-on adsorption" of sulfur atom,the nickel atoms on the surface of solid insert into the C—S bonds of sulfur compounds to form certain insertion adducts,reacting with adsorbed and activated hydrogen,followed by the cleavage of C—S bonds and C—C bonds.