Remarkable adsorption of oxygenated compounds from liquid fuel using copper based framework incorporated onto kaolin: Experimental and theoretical studies

The efficient elimination of phenolic compounds from the fuel is an important issue because it`s adversely affecting the environment and fuel storage stability. Phenol can be removed by various methods including adsorption. Recently, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), both pristine and modified ones, have attracted continuous attention as an adsorbent for the purification of fuel. This paper highlights the synthesis of copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (Cu-BTC) supported on kaolin (K) to form Cu-BTC@K composites and examines their adsorption ability of phenol from model oil. The synthesized materials were characterized using XRD, FT-IR, SEM and BET techniques. Although the porosity of the 60% Cu-BTC@K composite was reduced after clay impregnation, the phenol adsorption increased. Investigation results displayed that the phenol adsorption performance by 60% Cu-BTC@K composite was improved up to 817 mg g ⁻¹ while with the pure Cu-BTC (676 mg g ⁻¹). The 60% Cu-BTC@K composite could be perfectly regenerated for at least 4 cycles with little loss in the adsorption ability. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation was applied to analyze the preferential adsorption sites, the adsorption energies and maximum adsorption capacities. The composites formed by the combination of clay and MOFs may find promising applications in fuel purification.