Ind.Eng.Chem.Res.2008,47,9617–96229617DeepDesulfurizationofDieselFeedstockbySelectiveAdsorptionofRefractorySulfurCompoundsAlainFavre-Re´guillon,*,†,‡MarcSe´vignon,†MurielRocault,†EmmanuelleSchulz,§andMarcLemaire*,†UniVersite´deLyon,F-69622Lyon,France,CNRS,UMR5246,InstitutdeChimieetBiochimieMole´culairesetSupramole´culaires,43bouleVarddu11noVembre1918,69100Villeurbanne,France,ConserVatoireNationaldesArtsetMe´tiers,CNRS,UMR7084,LaboratoiredesTransformationsChimiquesetPharmaceutiques,2rueConte´,75003Paris,France,andEquipedeCatalyseMole´culaire,ICMMO,UMR8182,UniVersite´Paris-Sud11,Baˆt420,91405OrsayCedex,FranceAdsorptivedesulfurizationwasstudiedusingstraight-rungasoil(SRGO)withvarioussulfurcontents(390and60ppmS).Immobilizationofelectron-poormolecules(π-acceptors)onmacroporousresinswasachievedinthreestepsstartingfromcommerciallyavailablepoly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene)beads.Influenceofthetemperatureonadsorptionwasstudied,andtheprocesswasexaminedonthebasisofbreakthroughcurves.Theregenerationofthesupportwasstudiedusingfixed-bedtechnologyandwasefficientlyperformedwithtolueneasthesolvent.TheextractedcompoundswereeasilyrecoveredafterevaporationofthetolueneandtheaffinityoftheresinstowardalkyldibenzothiopheneswasconfirmedbyGC-FPDanalysis.Onthebasisofthesepreliminaryexperimentalresults,anewconceptisproposedforultradeepdesulfurizationofSRGO.1.IntroductionAnadsorptionprocessbasedontheselectiveextractionofDBTsusingchargetransfercomplexationhasbeendevelopedBecauseofgovernmentmandatesworldwide,refinersmustinourlaboratory.14-19DBTsareplanarandelectron-richproduceincreasinglycleanerfuels.Sulfurrepresentsamajorstructureswhichcanformcharge-transfercomplexes(CTCs)petroleumpollutantthatcontributestoairpollutionandcatalystwithplanarelectron-poormolecules(π-acceptors).Wehavepoisoning.Theproductionofultralowsulfurdiesel(downtoshownthattheselectivityofthecomplexationphenomenonis10ppm)ismotivatedbytheneedforusingnewemission-controlcontrolledbytheorbitalinteractions.22Theim