Low-temperature loading of Cu+ species over porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and adsorptive desulfurization with Cu+-loaded MOFs

Porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs, MIL-100-Fe, iron-benzenetricarboxylate) supported with Cu+ species were obtained for the first time under mild condition without high temperature calcinations. The Cu+-loaded MOFs were evaluated as efficient adsorbents for the liquid-phase adsorption of benzothiophene (BT). The effect of Cu+ loading on the adsorption kinetics and maximum adsorption capacity (Q0) for the adsorption of BT was also studied. Q0 increased with increasing copper loading up to a Cu/Fe (wt./wt.) ratio of 0.07 in Cu+-loaded-MIL-100-Fe, resulting in an increase in the Q0 by 14% compared with the virgin MIL-100-Fe without Cu+ ions. Since the surface area and pore volume decrease with the loading of copper, the increased Q0 over the Cu+-loaded MIL-100-Fe adsorbents suggests specific favorable interactions (probably by π-complexation) between Cu+ and BT.