Unraveling How the H(2) Treatment Helps Improve the Performances of Cu and Ag Loaded Y Zeolites for Adsorptive Desulfurization

[Image: see text] This work seeks for a better understanding on how the gas treatment process affected the structure of metal loaded zeolite Y (MY, M = Ag, Cu) adsorbants and how the structural changes affected the performances of the adsorbents for adsorptive desulfurization. A series of characterization tools including solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance were employed. Compared to the N(2) treatment, the H(2) treatment on the MY adsorbents led to the reduction of the loaded M components to their metallic state and, consequently, brought several structural changes to the zeolitic framework. The structural changes brought by the H(2) treatment can be accounted for the decreased Brönsted acidity over the Lewis acidity of the adsorbents and thus helped in improving their adsorption capacity. This paper provides new insights on how the zeolitic framework changes affected the sulfur adsorption capacity of MY, which is helpful for designing better adsorbents for sulfur removal from oil.