Removing sulfur from liquid fuels
has become an important issue
in a global society. Modulated synthesis is known to improve the crystallinity
of materials, ease of handling, control of crystallite size, and degree
of aggregation. A group of adsorbents [activated carbon (AC), a novel
synthesized Ni-based metal–organic framework (Ni-BDC), and
composites of AC@Ni-BDC treated with different concentrations of nitric
acid and modulator (formic acid)] were characterized using X-ray diffractometer
(XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM),
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller
(BET), and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD)-pyridine studies.
The adsorbents were also evaluated for adsorptive desulfurization.
The quantities of both AC and the modulator were observed to influence
the nucleation of Ni-BDC, crystallite size, and crystallinity. The
adsorption activity of the composite toward thiophene (TH) was the
average of the two materials (i.e., AC and Ni-BDC), while the activity
doubled toward dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene
(4,6-DMDBT) with respect to the excepted average. The improved activity
was attributed to enhanced pore structure, crystallinity, and synergistic
effects that produced stronger acidic sites.