Phosphotungstic acid ionic liquid-based 3D foam catalyst achieving full desulfurization efficiency

The design of integral catalyst material is essential for the industrial application of catalysts, which can ensure the efficiency of catalytic reaction and solve the difficult problem of catalyst separation. In this work, the macroscopic 3D foam catalyst is prepared by simply impregnating the phosphotungstic acid based ion liquid (C₁₄PWIL) on the melamine sponge (MS) and firmly adhering it with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The 3D network structures of the melamine sponge own high porosity and good crosslinking network, enabling the uniform dispersion of active site. While the addition of PVDF ensures a good combination between C₁₄PWIL and MS. Compared with C₁₄PWIL, the prepared catalyst has the advantages of easy separation from the reaction system and robust mechanical strength. The synthesized catalyst C₁₄PWIL/PVDF-MS exhibits outstanding oxidative desulfurization efficiency and cycle stability, in which full desulfurization efficiency can be realized with O/S ratio higher than 3. Our research results provide a new strategy for the preparation of integral catalysts with superior oxidative desulfurization performance.