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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0ACS Omega

Nb-Doped g-C3N4: A Highly Efficient and Stable Catalyst for Oxidative Desulfurization

  • Jennefer V. M. Oliveira1
  • Jhonatan B. Oliveira1
  • Klaus Krambrock2
  • Breno R. L. Galvao1
  • Raquel V. Mambrini1
  • Eudes Lorençon1
  1. 1Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG) , , Av. Amazonas 5253, Nova Suíça , , ,
  2. 2Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) , , Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, Pampulha , , ,
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Abstract

This study reports the synthesis and application of niobium-doped graphitic carbon nitride as a high-performance catalyst for oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of fuels. The 10-NbCN material, prepared via pyrolysis, exhibits Nb species that are highly dispersed at the atomic level within the g-C3N4 framework, as confirmed by XRD, FTIR, and TEM. Under optimized conditions (60 °C, O/S = 20:1, 4 g L–1 catalyst), 96% removal of dibenzothiophene (DBT) is achieved within 120 min, outperforming pure g-C3N4 and Nb2O5. Kinetic studies reveal pseudo-first-order behavior with an activation energy of 41.2 kJ mol–1. Remarkably, quinoline enhances DBT conversion even at high concentrations, indicating an unusual tolerance to nitrogen-containing compounds typically known to inhibit ODS systems. Evaluation in real diesel confirms that 10-NbCN selectively removes sulfur compounds while preserving the hydrocarbon matrix. EPR and DFT results suggest that Nb sites efficiently activate H2O2, promoting the generation of reactive oxygen species. The catalyst demonstrates outstanding stability over six cycles with negligible Nb leaching, supported by the preservation of Nb–N coordination under oxidative conditions. These findings highlight Nb–g-C3N4 as a robust and N-tolerant catalyst for ultralow sulfur fuel production.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{oliveira2026nbdoped,
  title = {{Nb-Doped g-C3N4: A Highly Efficient and Stable Catalyst for Oxidative Desulfurization}},
  author = {Jennefer V. M. Oliveira and Jhonatan B. Oliveira and Klaus Krambrock and Breno R. L. Galvao and Raquel V. Mambrini and Eudes Lorençon},
  journal = {ACS Omega},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6c05450},
  url = {https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c05450/5454764/Nb-Doped-g-C3N4-A-Highly-Efficient-and-Stable},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Nb-Doped g-C3N4: A Highly Efficient and Stable Catalyst for Oxidative Desulfurization
AU  - Jennefer V. M. Oliveira
AU  - Jhonatan B. Oliveira
AU  - Klaus Krambrock
AU  - Breno R. L. Galvao
AU  - Raquel V. Mambrini
AU  - Eudes Lorençon
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/20
JO  - ACS Omega
DO  - 10.1021/acsomega.6c05450
UR  - https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c05450/5454764/Nb-Doped-g-C3N4-A-Highly-Efficient-and-Stable
AB  - This study reports the synthesis and application of niobium-doped graphitic carbon nitride as a high-performance catalyst for oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of fuels. The 10-NbCN material, prepared via pyrolysis, exhibits Nb species that are highly dispersed at the atomic level within the g-C3N4 framework, as confirmed by XRD, FTIR, and TEM. Under optimized conditions (60 °C, O/S = 20:1, 4 g L–1 catalyst), 96% removal of dibenzothiophene (DBT) is achieved within 120 min, outperforming pure g-C3N4 and Nb2O5. Kinetic studies reveal pseudo-first-order behavior with an activation energy of 41.2 kJ mol–1. Remarkably, quinoline enhances DBT conversion even at high concentrations, indicating an unusual tolerance to nitrogen-containing compounds typically known to inhibit ODS systems. Evaluation in real diesel confirms that 10-NbCN selectively removes sulfur compounds while preserving the hydrocarbon matrix. EPR and DFT results suggest that Nb sites efficiently activate H2O2, promoting the generation of reactive oxygen species. The catalyst demonstrates outstanding stability over six cycles with negligible Nb leaching, supported by the preservation of Nb–N coordination under oxidative conditions. These findings highlight Nb–g-C3N4 as a robust and N-tolerant catalyst for ultralow sulfur fuel production.
SN  - 2470-1343
ER  -