Emerging desulfurization technologies and cutting-edge solvents for sulfur compounds removal from liquid fuels – a comprehensive review

作者：Aman Khalid, Abdul Rafay Khalid, Ahmad Farhan, Yusra Arooj, Muhammad Zahid, Muhammad Azam Qamar, Ewa Rostek, Jarosław Serafin, Grzegorz Boczkaj · 发表于：Separation and Purification Technology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134782 · 被引用次数：14 · 研究领域：Catalysis and Hydrodesulfurization Studies、Chemical Synthesis and Reactions、Nanomaterials for catalytic reactions

Desulfurization technologies represent one of the most essential steps in fuel processing. This importance arises from environmental issues related to the emission of sulfur oxides (SO x ) into the atmosphere as a result of fuel combustion, which contains sulfur compounds. SO x is a significant atmospheric pollutant that causes health hazards and has a serious environmental impact. Current worldwide limitations on the total sulfur content in automotive fuels are very strict. Sulfur is present in fuels in the form of organo-sulfur compounds. A selective refining process commonly referred to as desulfurization has been developed to eliminate these S-compounds from liquid fuel, enabling effective production of high-quality, low-sulfur, environmentally friendly liquid fuels. This review explores the traditional as well as the emerging desulfurization technologies. The fundamental features of several desulfurization technologies, notably hydrodesulfurization, oxidative desulfurization, biodesulfurization, and extractive and adsorptive processes, are discussed. It highlights the reaction mechanisms, efficiency, and drawbacks of these methods. Key focus areas include process alternatives to typical hydrodesulfurization, including the catalytic systems used in oxidative desulfurization, microorganisms utilized in biodesulfurization, novel solvents employed in extractive desulfurization, and the integration of extractive-catalytic oxidative desulfurization systems (ECODS). The importa...