Low-temperature loading of Cu+ species over porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and adsorptive desulfurization with Cu+-loaded MOFs.

Porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs, MIL-100-Fe, iron-benzenetricarboxylate) supported with Cu(+) species were obtained for the first time under mild condition without high temperature calcinations. The Cu(+)-loaded MOFs were evaluated as efficient adsorbents for the liquid-phase adsorption of benzothiophene (BT). The effect of Cu(+) loading on the adsorption kinetics and maximum adsorption capacity (Q(0)) for the adsorption of BT was also studied. Q(0) increased with increasing copper loading up to a Cu/Fe (wt./wt.) ratio of 0.07 in Cu(+)-loaded-MIL-100-Fe, resulting in an increase in the Q(0) by 14% compared with the virgin MIL-100-Fe without Cu(+) ions. Since the surface area and pore volume decrease with the loading of copper, the increased Q(0) over the Cu(+)-loaded MIL-100-Fe adsorbents suggests specific favorable interactions (probably by π-complexation) between Cu(+) and BT.