Development and optimization of a sustainable polyoxometalate-kaolinite-based catalyst for efficient desulfurization of model and real fuel using Box–Behnken design

The oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene in model and real fuel has been investigated by developing an environmentally sustainable catalyst H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀@f-kaolinite. The catalyst was synthesized by modifying kaolinite clay with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (f-kaolinite) followed by immobilizing silicotungstic acid hydrate (H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀) onto its surface. The successful synthesis of the catalyst was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The influence of variables i.e., catalyst dosage, temperature, and oxidant concentration on the conversion of dibenzothiophene was optimized by Box–Behnken design. The highest sulfur reduction (from 1000 to 78.3 ppm, with a conversion rate of 92.17%) was achieved at 70 °C, using a catalyst dosage of 70 mg and 8 mL of H₂O₂ in a model fuel. ANOVA analysis indicated that the quadratic model (R² = 0.99) was well-fitted for dibenzothiophene conversion, with a p-value of 0.2302 suggesting no statistically significant lack of fit compared to pure error. Furthermore, the H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀@f-kaolinite demonstrated a reduction of dibenzothiophene concentration from 354 ppm to 224 ppm in a real fuel oil sample. The heterogeneous nanocatalyst showed remarkable stability, maintaining its elemental structure after five cycles without significant efficiency loss, promoting environmental sustainability.