Diatomite supported highly-dispersed ZnO/Zn-co-embedded ZIF-8 derived porous carbon composites for adsorption desulfurization

The metal organic framework (MOFs)-derived porous carbon materials with highly dispersed metal active sites were of the exclusive application foreground in many field, such as catalyst, electrochemistry, adsorption desulfurization and so on. However, the loss issue of metal active sites in MOFs frame was indispensible during the high temperature carbonization because of the lower boiling point of many metals, thus fundamentally affecting the atom-scale uniform distribution merit of MOFs-derived porous carbon materials. This work was to provide a novel strategy to address the loss issue of the active metal volatilization in the fabrication of MOFs-derived porous carbon materials. The ZnO nanosheets were pre-grown on the surface of diatomite by using in-situ microwave-assisted preparation, and thereafter the Zn-containing ZIF-8 particles covered the surface of ZnO nanosheets by virtue of the ZnO-induced growth. The results affirmed that the high content Zn-doped porous carbon materials were achieved and the Zn volatilization in MOFs was restrained on account of the occurrence of ZnO on diatomite (DE) surface during the carbonization. The adsorption desulfurization performance of the ZnO/Zn-embedded porous carbon materials/DE (ZnO/Zn/C@DE) was examined by the sulfur-containing compounds in simulated oil. The adsorption desulfurization performance investigation indicated that the ZnO/Zn/C@DE had the optimum adsorption capacities of 45.3 mg/g for benzothiophene and 37.4 mg/g for thiophene. Nonetheless, the competitive adsorption desulfurization finding of toluene in simulated oil showed that the adsorption capacities of ZnO/Zn/C@DE for TH and BT were dramatically descended, suggesting the presence of S-M interaction, wherein S stood for the S atom in a thiophene molecule and their analogues, and M for Zn atoms in porous carbon materials. The combustion of thiophene sulfides in fuel oil produces a large amount of SOX harmful gas, which seriously threatens the ecological environment and people's life and health. The adsorption desulfurization for high efficient removal of thiophene sulfides from fuel oil is prospective to human society, in which the development of high-performance adsorbents is crucial. This work was to provide a novel strategy to address the loss issue of the active metal volatilization in the fabrication of MOFs-derived porous carbon materials. The ZnO nanoflakes were pre-grown on the surface of diatomite (DE) by using in-situ microwave-assisted preparation, and thereafter the Zn-containing ZIF-8 particles covered the surface of ZnO nanoflakes by virtue of the ZnO-induced growth.