Design, fabrication and evaluation of intelligent sulfone-selective polybenzimidazole nanofibers

• Successful fabrication of molecularly imprinted polybenzimidazole nanofibers.
• Successful adsorption of oxidized organosulfur compounds.
• Density functional theory (DFT) showed π–π and hydrogen bond interactions.
• Excellent removal of sulfur in oxidized hydrotreated diesel fuels.

Molecularly imprinted polybenzimidazole nanofibers fabricated for the adsorption of oxidized organosulfur compounds are presented. The imprinted polymers exhibited better selectivity for their target model sulfone-containing compounds with adsorption capacities of 28.5±0.4 mg g−1, 29.8±2.2 mg g−1 and 20.1±1.4 mg g−1 observed for benzothiophene sulfone (BTO2), dibenzothiophene sulfone (DBTO2) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene sulfone (4,6-DMDBTO2) respectively. Molecular modeling based upon the density functional theory (DFT) indicated that hydrogen bond interactions may take place between sulfone oxygen groups with NH groups of the PBI. Further DFT also confirmed the feasibility of π–π interactions between the benzimidazole rings and the aromatic sulfone compounds. The adsorption mode followed the Freundlich (multi-layered) adsorption isotherm which indicated possible sulfone–sulfone interactions. A home-made pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) system was employed for the extraction/desorption of sulfone compounds within imprinted nanofibers at 1 mL min−1, 150 °C and 30 bar. PHWE used a green solvent (water) and achieved better extraction yields compared to the Soxhlet extraction process. The application of molecularly imprinted polybenzimidazole (PBI) nanofibers displayed excellent sulfur removal, with sulfur in fuel after adsorption falling below the determined limit of detection (LOD), which is 2.4 mg L−1 S, and with a sulfur adsorption capacity of 5.3±0.4 mg g−1 observed for application in the fuel matrix.

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