Oxidative desulfurization of liquid fuels using metal sulfide quantum dots/graphen oxid hybrid nanocatalyst

2—The method of claim 1, wherein contacting the liquid fuel with the quantum dot hybrid catalyst in the reactor vessel comprises adding the quantum dot hybrid catalyst to the reactor vessel containing the liquid fuel with a weight ratio of the quantum dot hybrid catalyst to the liquid fuel in a range between 1% wt. and 5% wt.

3—The method of claim 2, wherein contacting the liquid fuel with the quantum dot hybrid catalyst in the reactor vessel further comprises mixing the quantum dot hybrid catalyst and the liquid fuel in the reactor vessel with a mixing rate in a range between 200 rpm and 2000 rpm.

4—The method of claim 1, wherein heating the reactor vessel to the temperature between 25° C. and 200° C. comprises maintaining the reactor vessel at a temperature between 25° C. and 100° C.

5—The method of claim 1, wherein producing the sulfone and sulfoxide compounds by oxidizing the liquid fuel with the ozone gas in the presence of the quantum dot hybrid catalyst at the temperature between 25° C. and 200° C. comprises flowing the ozone gas into the reactor vessel while mixing the liquid fuel and the quantum dot hybrid catalyst in the reactor vessel at the temperature between 25° C. and 200° C.

6—The method of claim 1, wherein producing the sulfone and sulfoxide compounds by oxidizing the liquid fuel with the ozone gas in the presence of the quantum dot hybrid catalyst at the temperature between 25° C. and 200° C. comprises flowing the ozone gas into the reactor vessel with a flow rate between 100 ml/min and 700 ml/min for a period of time between 1 hour and 12 hours.

7—The method of claim 1, wherein separating the sulfone and sulfoxide compounds from the liquid fuel by extracting the sulfone and sulfoxide with the extraction solvent comprises extracting the sulfone and sulfoxide compounds from the liquid fuel using at least one of methanol, water, acetonitrile, sulfolane, dimethylformamide (DMF), and combinations thereof.

8—The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid fuel comprises a hydrocarbon fuel cut with a boiling temperature in a range between 38° C. and 750° C.

9—The method of claim 8, wherein the liquid fuel comprises at least one of naphtha, kerosene, diesel, gas oil, vacuum gas oil (VGO), mazot, atmospheric residue of petroleum, and combinations thereof.

10—The method of claim 8, wherein the liquid fuel comprises a hydrocarbon fuel cut with a sulfur content in a range between 50 ppm and 60000 ppm (6% wt.).

11—The method of claim 10, wherein the liquid fuel comprises a hydrocarbon fuel cut with a sulfur content in a range between 10000 ppm (1% wt.) and 60000 ppm (6% wt.).

12—The method of claim 1, wherein the metal sulfide quantum dots comprise at least one of molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (MoS2 QDs), chromium sulfide quantum dots (Cr2S3 QDs), tungsten disulfide quantum dots (WS2 QDs), nickel sulfide quantum dots (Ni3S2 QDs), and combinations thereof.

13—The method of claim 1, wherein the quantum dot hybrid catalyst comprises the metal sulfide quantum dots with a size between 0.5 nm and 5 nm.

14—The method of claim 1, wherein the quantum dot hybrid catalyst comprises a weight ratio of the metal sulfide quantum dots to the graphene oxide in a range between 0.02% wt. and 0.1% wt.

17—The method of claim 16, wherein the alcohol comprises at least one of methanol, ethanol, propanol, and combinations thereof.

18—The method of claim 16, wherein the chelating agent comprises at least one of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), potassium laurate (K-LAURATE), and combinations thereof.