Editorial
Designing Catalytic Desulfurization Processes to Prepare Clean
Fuels—2nd Edition
Fátima Mirante * and Salete S. Balula *
LAQV/REQUIMTE Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto,
4169-007 Porto, Portugal
* Correspondence: [Link]@[Link] (F.M.); sbalula@[Link] (S.S.B.)
Following the success of the first edition, this second volume of the Special Issue
“Designing Catalytic Desulfurization Processes to Prepare Clean Fuels” brings more ad-
vanced and innovative strategies for the removal of sulfur compounds from fuels. Sulfur-
containing fuels are major contributors to the occurrence of acid rain and environmental
pollution, largely due to the release of sulfur dioxide (SO2 ) and fine particulate matter
containing metal sulfates during fuel combustion. These emissions are extremely toxic
and corrosive, being harmful to both human health and ecosystem equilibrium and safety.
In response to these challenges, increasingly strict regulations worldwide have pushed
the refining industry to adopt more rigorous and advanced desulfurization technolo-
gies. While hydrodesulfurization (HDS) remains the predominant industrial method, its
limitations—including the need for high temperatures, high pressures, and high hydrogen
consumption—pose economic and environmental concerns. Furthermore, HDS is not well
suited to processing complex or heavy feedstocks such as heavy fuel oils, which require
alternative or complementary solutions.
This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in catalytic desulfurization ap-
proaches that offer sustainable, cost-effective, and versatile alternatives to traditional HDS.
Contributions include, but are not limited to, oxidative, extractive, adsorptive, and bio-
catalytic desulfurization processes, with a strong emphasis on those with potential for
industrial application. The selected articles reflect the multidisciplinary nature of this field
and demonstrate ongoing global efforts to meet environmental targets through cleaner fuel
Received: 15 May 2025
technologies, adapted to different kinds of fuels.
Revised: 23 May 2025 By gathering original research papers and critical reviews, this edition not only show-
Accepted: 26 May 2025 cases the breadth of scientific innovation in catalytic desulfurization but also underscores
Published: 3 June 2025 the importance of continuous development in pursuit of greener and more efficient fuel
Citation: Mirante, F.; Balula, S.S. processing solutions.
Designing Catalytic Desulfurization One study, “Methyl Mercaptan Removal from Methane Using Metal-Oxides and
Processes to Prepare Clean Aluminosilicate Materials”, addresses the challenge of removing methyl mercaptan, a sulfur
Fuels—2nd Edition. Catalysts 2025, 15,
compound commonly found in natural gas that poses corrosion risks in infrastructure,
551. [Link]
catal15060551
from natural gas. By evaluating the catalytic activity of various metal oxides and aluminum
silicates using a fixed-bed reactor, the study reveals that combining manganese, copper,
Copyright: © 2025 by the authors.
and zinc oxides on aluminum silicate significantly enhances sulfur capture—reaching a
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
capacity of 1226 mg S/g. This work highlights the potential of synergistic metal oxide
distributed under the terms and formulations to serve as high-performance desulfurization catalysts while minimizing
conditions of the Creative Commons harmful byproducts such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS). These
Attribution (CC BY) license findings contribute to the growing field of low-temperature, low-energy sulfur removal
([Link] technologies suitable for gas processing industries.
licenses/by/4.0/).
Catalysts 2025, 15, 551 [Link]
Catalysts 2025, 15, 551 2 of 3
In the article “Deactivation and Regeneration Studies of Molybdenum-Based Catalysts
in the Oxidative Desulfurization of Marine Fuel Oil”, the researchers investigated catalyst
deactivation mechanisms during the oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of heavy fuel oil
(HFO), a key process for producing cleaner marine fuels. Mo-based alumina-supported
catalysts were analyzed before and after the reaction using techniques like XRD, Raman,
XRF, and TGA. The authors’ findings show that catalyst activity and its regeneration depend
on molybdenum surface speciation—well-dispersed Mo species are active and regenerable,
while crystalline MoO3 reduces performance and hinders regeneration. Sulfone adsorption
had little effect on deactivation; instead, non-sulfur compounds were the main contributors.
Regeneration success also varied with Mo content and oxidant type—organic oxidants like
tBHP improved catalyst recovery. This work provides critical insight into deactivation in
real HFO ODS systems and offers strategies to improve catalyst durability.
Another notable contribution is the “Nano-TiO2 -Enhanced Surface Functionaliza-
tion of Recycled Concrete Aggregates for Improved Degradation Efficiency of Low-
Concentration Sulfur Dioxide”. This innovative work utilizes the functionalization of
recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) with nano-TiO2 to enhance the photocatalytic degra-
dation of low-concentration sulfur dioxide (SO2 ). The nano-TiO2 coatings significantly
improved SO2 removal under light irradiation, especially by UV light, due to photo-
induced oxidation. The coated RCAs demonstrated strong durability, retaining 85% of
their photocatalytic activity after five reuse cycles. A mathematical model was used to
illustrate how environmental variables, like SO2 concentration and flow rate, influence
degradation efficiency. This research highlights the potential of nano-TiO2 -modified RCAs
for sustainable construction and air pollution control, offering an innovative approach to
environmental remediation and the circular use of construction waste.
The paper entitled “Production of Green Fuel Using a New Synthetic Magnetite
Mesoporous Nano-Silica Composite Catalyst for Oxidative Desulfurization: Experiments
and Process Modeling” explores the use of eco-friendly oxidative desulfurization catalysts
using bentonite-derived nano-silica combined with HY zeolite for sulfur removal from
kerosene. Two Fe–silica composite catalysts were prepared—CAT-1 (100% nano-silica)
and CAT-2 (80% nano-silica, 20% HY-zeolite)—and catalyst performance was tested under
various temperatures, durations, and airflow conditions. CAT-2 demonstrated significantly
higher sulfur removal (87.88%) compared to CAT-1 (50%), highlighting the enhancing
effect of HY zeolite. A mathematical model was developed and validated to optimize
reaction conditions, predicting over 99% of the sulfur removal. Characterization techniques
confirmed the structural and surface properties, supporting the catalyst’s efficiency.
Lastly, the review “Advanced Technologies Conciliating Desulfurization and Denitro-
genation to Prepare Clean Fuels” highlights the urgent need for the effective removal of
both sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds from fuels to prepare more sustainable
fuels that can easily meet strict environmental regulations. While traditional hydrodesul-
furization and hydrodenitrogenation processes are limited by harsh conditions and poor
simultaneous removal efficiency, non-hydrogen alternatives offer promising results under
milder conditions. Despite decades of research on desulfurization and, more recently,
denitrogenation, few studies have addressed their simultaneous elimination. The pa-
per critically evaluates various non-hydrogen methods—such as adsorption, extraction,
(photo)catalytic oxidation, and ultrasound-assisted oxidation—and emphasizes the impor-
tance of integrated strategies to develop cost-effective, sustainable technologies for clean
fuel production.
Collectively, the contributions to this Special Issue reflect the diverse and dynamic
landscape of desulfurization research, showcasing global scientific collaboration aimed
at developing cleaner and more sustainable fuel solutions. Most of the papers in this
Catalysts 2025, 15, 551 3 of 3
collection demonstrate that the design of suitable materials is the key to this dynamic
topic. The knowledge shared through these studies lays a strong foundation for continued
innovation, guiding the advancement of more efficient and environmentally friendly
desulfurization technologies.
We sincerely thank all of the authors for their valuable contributions, the reviewers for
their insightful evaluations, and the readers for their engagement. Your commitment and
expertise are vital to ongoing progress in the pursuit of clean energy. We eagerly anticipate
future developments and discoveries that will shape the future of catalytic desulfurization.
Funding: This research was funded by the European Union (FEDER funds through COMPETE
POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031983), and also from Portuguese national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação
para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through
the strategic project UIDB/50006/2020 (for LAQV-REQUIMTE). Fátima Mirante and Salete Balula
thank FCT/MCTES for funding through the Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus
(Ref. [Link]/CP2842/CT0006 and Ref. CEECIND/03877/2018, respectively).
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
List of Contributions
1. Martinez-Zuniga, G.; Antwi, S.; Soni-Castro, P.; Olayiwola, O.; Chuprin, M.; Holmes,
W.E.; Buchireddy, P.; Gang, D.; Revellame, E.; Zappi, M.E.; et al. Methyl Mercaptan
Removal from Methane Using Metal-Oxides and Aluminosilicate Materials. Catalysts
2024, 14, 907.
2. Roy, T.; Alakari, J.; Lancelot, C.; Blanchard, P.; Poinel, L.; Lamonier, C. Deactiva-
tion and Regeneration Studies of Molybdenum-Based Catalysts in the Oxidative
Desulfurization of Marine Fuel Oil. Catalysts 2024, 14, 823.
3. Chen, X.-F.; Chen, W.-Z.; Zhang, X.-C.; Lin, W.-C.; Zheng, J.-S.; Yan, G.-H. Nano-TiO2 -
Enhanced Surface Functionalization of Recycled Concrete Aggregates for Improved
Degradation Efficiency of Low-Concentration Sulfur Dioxide. Catalysts 2024, 14, 709.
4. Jarullah, A.T.; Hussein, A.K.; Al-Tabbakh, B.A.; Hameed, S.A.; Mujtaba, I.M.; Saeed,
L.I.; Humadi, J.I. Production of Green Fuel Using a New Synthetic Magnetite Meso-
porous Nano-Silica Composite Catalyst for Oxidative Desulfurization: Experiments
and Process Modeling. Catalysts 2024, 14, 529.
5. Faria, R.G.; Silva, D.; Mirante, F.; Gago, S.; Cunha-Silva, L.; Balula, S.S. Advanced
Technologies Conciliating Desulfurization and Denitrogenation to Prepare Clean
Fuels. Catalysts 2024, 14, 137.
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