Unraveling the enhanced oxidative desulfurization activity: Synergistically boosting the formation of reactive oxygen...

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) activation is a pivotal factor influencing the oxidative desulfurization efficiency. Carbon quantum dots (C-dots) material can be facilely functionalized through chemical modifications, thus effectively activating H₂O₂ for oxidative reactions. Herein, a kind of hybrid materials C-dots-modified polyoxometalate poly(ionic liquid) supported on silica dioxide (C-PIL-POM-SiO₂) were successfully synthesized via a facile self-assembly method. The experimental results demonstrated that the doped C-dots facilitated electron transfer during the reaction, thereby accelerating the conversion of H₂O₂ into superoxide (·O₂^-) and hydroxyl radicals (·OH). The incorporation of SiO₂ significantly enhanced the specific surface area of the catalysts C-PIL-POM-SiO₂, leading to abundant exposed active sites to boost the mass transfer during the reaction. The synergistic effects could achieve an optimal desulfurization efficiency of 99.9 % within 40 min.