Desulfurization and sulfur tolerant hydrogenation processes of hydrocarbon feedstocks

A method for the treatment of a liquid sulfur-containing hydrocarbon feedstock, the method comprising:

• a. providing an adsorbent comprising a zinc oxide nanowire decorated with a decorating metal selected from nickel, nickel-zinc alloy, cobalt, molybdenum, platinum, copper, nickel-copper alloy, and combinations thereof;
• b. packing a reactor bed with the adsorbent;
• c. pretreating the decorating metal of the adsorbent by heating the adsorbent in a reactor while flowing nitrogen gas (N2) over the adsorbent for a predetermined time;
• d. after pretreating the decorating metal, reducing the decorated metal of the adsorbent by starting a flow of hydrogen gas (H2) over the adsorbent as the reactor temperature is raised to a predetermined temperature and then holding the adsorbent at the predetermined temperature with a H2 gas flow for a predetermined time period;
• e. after reducing the decorating metal, cooling the reactor to a desulfurization temperature between 220° C. and 425° C. and stopping the hydrogen gas flow when the desired desulfurization temperature is reached;
• f. passing the liquid sulfur-containing hydrocarbon feedstock through the adsorbent without adding external hydrogen and allowing the adsorbent to remove sulfur-containing compounds from the sulfur-containing hydrocarbon feedstock;
• and,
• g. collecting the treated liquid hydrocarbon feedstock.