ABSTRACT
As the focus on environmental protection and energy crisis worldwide is significant, desulfurization of fuels plays an important role in the petroleum refining process, meanwhile related researches become a trending topic. In this study, using methyl phenyl sulfide on behalf of sulfides, one-step oxidative desulfurization was achieved by the method of adopting mild oxidant, mild and definite wavelength UV light, and performing in a non-polar solvent. The products were methanesulfinic phenyl esters, a thia-Baeyer-Villiger type reaction product, signed by the C-S cleavage and oxygen insertion. Methyl phenyl sulfide is transformed to methanesulfinic phenyl esters in 95% conversion and near 100% selectivity. This method is carried out in hydrocarbon solvent, and is more likely to be applied to the desulfurization of light fuels and drive the desulfurization of products to fine chemicals.
