Catalysis

Engineering

Flue-gas desulfurization

Chemical engineering

Biochemical engineering

Waste management

Organic chemistry

Process engineering

Environmental science

Chemistry

Ionic liquid

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

Sulfur compounds in transportation fuels are a pressing issue currently due to the more stringent limits of sulfur content. Sulfur compounds lead to SOx emissions which cause many environmental and health problems. The conventional refinery desulfurization process, hydrodesulfurization (HDS), is conducted at elevated temperatures and pressures, using expensive hydrogen gas and catalysts. This review aims to discuss the merits and drawbacks of the major areas of alternative desulfurization technologies, including biodesulfurization, adsorption, extractive and oxidative desulfurization, with special emphasis on the role of ionic liquids (ILs) as distinctive multi-task fluids. With the rapid development of ILs in the last decades, more effective and reliable desulfurization techniques are foreseeable.

The role of ionic liquids in desulfurization of fuels: A review