Der Claus‐Prozess. Reich an Jahren und bedeutender denn je

Modern industrial societies are dependent on fossil feedstocks as source of fuels and base chemicals. Due to the sulphur content of mineral oil, natural gas and coal, desulphurisation technology in general and the Claus process in particular are crucial to protect the environment from sulphur emissions. Sulphur recovery from natural gases or process gases with high H₂S content is the domain of the Claus Process, also predominating as source of the base chemical sulphur. The process is still steadily growing in importance.     

Hydrogen sulfide conversion: How to capture hydrogen and sulfur by photocatalysis

H₂S is a notorious gas widely generated in the petrochemical industry. How to handle H₂S effectively and convert it into highly-valued products is vital. Photocatalysis is promising in this field, as it could directly utilize solar light and convert H₂S into H₂ and S. In this review, the properties of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is overviewed first, and conventional techniques (Claus process, thermolysis, non-thermal plasma, electrochemistry and other methods) for H₂S conversion are simply introduced. Basic knowledge of photocatalysis and general strategies for enhancing the activities of photocatalysts are presented as well. Then typical work for photocatalytic conversion of H₂S in gas phase and liquid phase are introduced case by case, with the generated H₂ as the main product in these systems. Furthermore, methods for extraction of elemental sulfur from H₂S by photocatalysis-related methods were discussed, with specific attention on photoelectrochemical cells and photovoltaic-electrochemical cells. In the end, current status of the research on photocatalytic conversion of H₂S is summarized, and challenges in this field is put forward. In addition, some other possible strategies for photocatalytic conversion of H₂S into highly-valued chemicals instead of hydrogen and elemental sulfur will be discussed, which is aimed to inspire researchers interested in this field.     

Field technology for desulfurization of associated petroleum gas

Applicability of gas desulfurization technologies for sulfur-containing gases under conditions of the limited choice is analyzed. Data on efficiency of a new process for catalytic desulfurization of sulfur-containing gases through H2S and RSH conversion in sulfur and disulfides, respectively, is demonstrated. The technology is approved in pilot projects of gas desulfurization at a flare line, on a gas-processing plant. The equipment is developed and certificated. Installations for catalytic desulfurization are intended to be equipped with a complete set of blocks for gas preparation and power-generating equipment directly at deposits. This solution substantially decreases both capital and operational expenditures compared to the traditional multi-stage absorption/desorption technologies such as expensive Claus process.

     

High-efficiency process for production of sulfur from metallurgical sulfur dioxide gases

Process in which sulfur is produced from a gas containing 25–55% SO₂ was studied in order to evaluate the real efficiency of the catalytic post-reduction of sulfur dioxide in a pilot unit with gas flow rate of up to 1.2 nm³ h^–1 at the following temperatures (°C): thermal stage 850–1100, catalytic conversion 350–570, and Claus reactor 219–279. It was found that the conversion at 400–550°C and space velocity of 1600 h^–1 on AOK-78-57 promoted aluminum oxide catalyst provides full processing of organosulfur compounds (CS₂ and COS). The temperature dependence of the conversion/generation of hydrogen sulfide on AOK-78-57 catalyst corresponds to the equilibrium model. It was experimentally confirmed that the homogeneous reduction of sulfur dioxide gas with methane at T ≈ 1100°C, with catalytic post-reduction at 400–550°C and subsequent Claus-conversion of the reduced gas at 230–260°C, provide a sufficiently deep (by 92–95%) general processing of sulfur dioxide gas to sulfur.     

An FT-IR study of adsorption of sulfur dioxide on alpha- and gamma-alumina

In the Claus process hydrogen sulfide reacts to elemental sulfur. Because the Claus reaction is thermodynamically limited, sulfur compounds are still present in Claus tailgas. To avoid air pollution, the tailgas has to be treated.Alfa- and gamma-alumina are being used either as a catalyst or as a support for an active component in the Claus process and some tailgas treatment processes. In order to elucidate the mechanism of the Claus reaction, the adsorption of sulfur dioxide on both of the above aluminas was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.Different adsorbed species displaying a different heat of adsorption were detected. A broad band near 3500 cm^–1 is associated with the basic hydroxyl groups. This band is assigned to a hydrogen bond between the surface of alumina and a bisulfite species. As bisulfite species are reactive towards hydrogen sulfide, we assume that bisulfite species are active intermediates on alumina in the Claus reaction.     

Effect of micropores on the effective diffusion coefficient

The effective diffusion coefficient for catalysts differing in their porous structure has been derived from experimental data on H₂S conversion in the Claus reaction. The effective diffusion coefficient increases under conditions of catalyst deactivation due to sulfur condensation in micropores. A mathematical model is suggested to describe the micropore effect on the effective diffusion coefficient.     

Synthesis,structure, and electrochemistry of mer[RuCl3(DMSO–S)(DMSO–O)(py)]

Reaction of mer-[RuCl₃(DMSO–S)₂(DMSO–O] (1) with pyridine (py) in dichloromethane yields mer-[RuCl₃(DMSO–S)(DMSO–O)(py)] (2). A single crystal suitable for X-ray diffraction was obtained by recrystalization with dichloromethane and diethyl ether. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed an unusual case in which two independent molecules (2a and 2b) are present in the asymmetric unit cell. Both molecules have distorted octahedral geometry in which DMSO is bound through oxygen and sulfur. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed for 2a and 2b in gas phase to investigate bonding shown by the two DMSO ligands. Optimizations were done on both DMSO ligands bonded through S, both DMSO ligands bonded through O, one DMSO bonded through O, and the other through S but opposite to the actual molecule. The energy differences of the optimized structures were calculated.     

Synthesis,characterization, and crystal structure determination of palladacycles of para-substituted 2-thiobenzylazobenzenes

Bichelated neutral palladacycles (1–3), [Pd(L)Cl], were synthesized from reaction of the new potential tridentate (C,N,S) ligands, 2-thiobenzylazobenzene (L₁), 4′-methyl-2-thiobenzylazobenzene (L₂), and 4′-chloro-2-thiobenzylazobenzene (L₃) with sodium tetrachloropalladate(II), Na₂[PdCl₄], in ethanol. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, ¹H NMR, UV–visible, and thermogravimetric analysis. The crystal structures of L₂ and 1–3 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In 1–3, the geometry around palladium remains almost square planar, coordinated to carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur of the ligand forming a bichelated cyclopalladate complex. The C–H…Cl type intermolecular hydrogen bonds, weak π…π, C–H…π, and van der Waals interactions are believed to be the stabilizing forces for the crystal packing of these palladacycles.     

Spectral Assignment of Phenanthrene Derivatives Based on 6H-Dibenzo[C,E][1,2] Oxaphosphinine 6-Oxide by NMR and Quantum Chemical Calculations

Abstract

Organophosphorus compounds such as 6H-dibenzo[c,e][1,2]oxaphosphinine 6-oxide (DOPO, 1) and its derivatives are important and versatile compounds for a broad field of applications. However, a thorough spectral assignment is often subordinate to its chemical properties. This article presents and unambiguously attributes the ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of DOPO (1), selected products yielded from the Atherton–Todd reaction (2–4), DOPO-HQ (5) as well as sulfur derivatives (6–7) via a set of 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments. The complex P-C and P-H coupling patterns are discussed and compared with the derivatives possessing different chemical environments around the phosphorus atom. In addition, we compared our results with density functional theory calculations. Even though the prediction of NMR data of organophosphorus compounds via molecular modeling is limited, this study presents a method that yields good results for this class of heterocycles. This knowledge should help to quickly assign NMR spectroscopic data of other DOPO (1) derivatives and can be extrapolated to organophosphorus compounds in general.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements for the following free supplemental resource: NMR Spectra of Compounds 1-7 (Figures S1 - S15).     

The solubility of H2S in liquid sulfur

The need for fundamental data describing the dissolution of hydrogen sulfide, H₂S, in Claus recovered liquid sulfur prompted an examination of equilibrium H₂S solubility at typical industrial condensation temperatures and partial pressures. An FT/IR absorption technique has been described and new H₂S solubility measurements have been reported for partial H₂S pressures from 0.4 to 56 kPa and temperatures from 120 to 155 °C. The measurements were combined with previously reported values for atmospheric pressures of H₂S and used to calibrate a semi-empirical equation for the Henry's law solubility in liquid sulfur as a function of temperature. Estimations were compared to Claus plant field data and appear to underestimate the H₂S solubility for the first and second catalyst condenser stages. This underestimation was attributed to rapid condensation resulting in super-saturation of the recovered sulfur liquid, or an inaccurate measurement of the condensation temperatures.     

Ion–Molecule Reactions of “Rollover” Cyclometalated [Pt(bipy−H)]+ (bipy=2,2′‐bipyridine) with Dimethyl Ether in Comparison with Dimethyl Sulfide: An Experimental/Computational Study

The ion–molecule reactions of dimethyl ether with cyclometalated [Pt(bipy?H)]⁺ were investigated in gas‐phase experiments, complemented by DFT methods, and compared with the previously reported ion–molecule reactions with its sulfur analogue. The initial step corresponds in both cases to a platinum‐mediated transfer of a hydrogen atom from the ether to the (bipy?H) ligand, and three‐membered oxygen‐ and sulfur‐containing metallacycles serve as key intermediates. Oxidative C? C bond coupling (“dehydrosulfurization”), which dominates the gas‐phase ion chemistry of the [Pt(bipy?H)]⁺ ion with dimethyl sulfide, is practically absent for dimethyl ether. The competition in the formation of C₂H₄ and CH₂X (X=O, S) in the reactions of [Pt(bipy?H)]⁺ with (CH₃)₂X (X=O, S) as well as the extensive H/D exchange observed in the [Pt(bipy?H)]⁺/(CH₃)₂O system are explained in terms of the corresponding potential‐energy surfaces.     

Synthesis and Characterization of New N-(Diphenylphosphino)-Naphthylamine Chalcogenides: X-Ray Structures of (1-NHC10H7)P(Se)Ph2 and Ph2P(S)OP(S)Ph2

Abstract

The reaction of 1-naphthylamine with one equivalent of chlorodiphenylphosphine in the presence of triethylamine gave the (1-NHC₁₀H₇)PPh₂ (1) ligand. Refluxing of 1 with elemental sulfur or grey selenium in toluene (1:1 molar ratio) afforded (1-NHC₁₀H₇)P(S)Ph₂ (2) and (1-NHC₁₀H₇)P(Se)Ph₂ (3), respectively. Moreover, the byproduct {Ph₂P(S)}₂O (4) was isolated from the reaction of 1 with elemental sulfur. Compounds 1–3 were identified and characterized by multinuclear (¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P, ⁷⁷Se) NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. Crystal structure determinations of 3 and 4 were carried out.     

Comments on a modified tutwiler method for the determination of H2S and SO2 in gases

A modified form of the Tutwiler analysis which was proposed a few years ago and has to some extent, been used as a method for controlling the Claus sulphur recovery process, has been examined as to its exactitude for this purpose, viz. for, determining both H₂S and SO₂ in gas mixtures.It has been found suitable for the determination of H₂S alone, and also (with a small modification) of SO₂ alone, but not for both compounds if they occur together.These disadvantages are not possessed by an alternative method of analysis, recently published.     

Supramolecular Assemblies of Sulfur- and Selenium- Containing Expanded Porphyrins Mediated Through Noncovalent Interactions

Abstract

Various supramolecular assemblies based on expanded porphyrins building blocks containing sulfur and/or selenium in the core, formed through multiple non-covalent hydrogen bonding interactions are highlighted. Specifically, modified expanded porphyrins such as 22 π sapphyrins, 26 π rubyrins, and 34 π octaphyrins self assemble in solid state through C–H…O, C–H…N, C–H…S, C–H…Se, C–H…π, and C–H…Cl interactions to form dimeric, oligomeric, and three dimensional networks. Furthermore, the supramolecular networks promoted by trapped solvent molecules such as nitrobenzene and bound anions such as chloride or trifluoroacetate through noncovalent interactions will be discussed.     

Metal derivatives of thiosemicarbazones: crystal and molecular structures of mono- and di-nuclear copper(I) complexes with N1-substituted thiosemicarbazones

The reactions of copper(II) chloride with a series of N¹-substituted thiosemicarbazones, {R¹(H)C²=N³–N²(H)–C¹(=S)–N¹HMe, R¹ = furan, Hftsc-N-Me; thiophene, Httsc-N-Me; phenyl, Hbtsc-N-Me} in 1 : 2 molar ratio yield copper(I) complexes : sulfur-bridged dinuclear complexes, [Cu₂Cl₂(μ-S-Hftsc-N-Me)₂(η¹-S-Hftsc-N-Me)₂] (1), [Cu₂Cl₂(μ-S-Httsc-N-Me)₂(η¹-S-Httsc-N-Me)₂] (2), and a mononuclear complex [CuCl(η¹-S–Hbtsc-N-Me)₂] (3). Complexes 1–3 have been characterized by elemental analysis (C, H, N), spectroscopy (IR, ¹H NMR) and X-ray crystallography. The Cu(μ-S)₂Cu cores in 1 and 2 form parallelograms with unequal bond distances {Cu–S, 2.2831(3), 2.5955(4) Å (1); 2.2641(9), 2.8006(10) Å (2)}. Bond angles at sulfur and copper are, Cu–S–Cu, S–Cu–S, 69.86(11), 110.12(17)° (1); 75.84(3), 104.16(3)° (2), respectively. The Cu ··· Cu separations are 2.806 Å (1) and 3.141 Å (2) with each copper center a distorted tetrahedron (96.67–119.28°). Bond parameters of 3, Cu–S, 2.227(3), 2.224(3) Å, and 118.97–121.11° are different.     

The Intermolecular S?H⋅⋅⋅Y (Y=S,O) Hydrogen Bond in the H2S Dimer and the H2S–MeOH Complex

The nature of the S? H???S hydrogen‐bonding interaction in the H₂S dimer and its structure has been the focus of several theoretical studies. This is partly due to its structural similarity and close relationship with the well‐studied water dimer and partly because it represents the simplest prototypical example of hydrogen bonding involving a sulfur atom. Although there is some IR data on the H₂S dimer and higher homomers from cold matrix experiments, there are no IR spectroscopic reports on S? H???S hydrogen bonding in the gas phase to‐date. We present experimental evidence using VUV ionization‐detected IR‐predissociation spectroscopy (VUV‐ID‐IRPDS) for this weak hydrogen‐bonding interaction in the H₂S dimer. The proton‐donating S? H bond is found to be red‐shifted by 31 cm^?1. We were also able to observe and assign the symmetric (ν₁) stretch of the acceptor and an unresolved feature owing to the free S? H of the donor and the antisymmetric (ν₃) SH stretch of the acceptor. In addition we show that the heteromolecular H₂S–MeOH complex, for which both S? H???O and O? H???S interactions are possible, is S‐H???O bound.     

Combining agriculture and energy industry waste products to yield recyclable,thermally healable copolymers of elemental sulfur and oleic acid

Sulfur and oleic acid, two components of industrial waste/byproducts, were combined in an effort to prepare more sustainable polymeric materials. Zinc oxide was employed to serve the dual role of compatibilizing immiscible sulfur and oleic acid as well as to suppress evolution of toxic H₂S gas during reaction at high temperature. The reaction of sulfur, oleic acid, and zinc oxide led to a series of composites, ZOS _x (x = wt % sulfur, where x is 8–99). The ZOS _x materials ranged from sticky tars to hard solids at room temperature. The ZOS _x compositions were assessed by ¹H NMR spectrometry, FTIR spectroscopy, and elemental microanalysis. Copolymers ZOS _59‐99 , were further analyzed for thermal and mechanical properties by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic mechanical analysis. Remarkably, even ZOS ₉₉ , comprising only 1 wt % of zinc oxide/oleic acid (99 wt % S) exhibits at least an eightfold increase in storage modulus compared to sulfur alone. The four solid samples (59–99 wt % S) were thermally healable and readily remeltable with full retention of mechanical durability. These materials represent a valuable proof‐of‐concept for sustainably sourced, recyclable materials from unsaturated fatty acid waste products. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1704–1710     

Reaction mechanism and modeling study for the oxidation by SO2 of o‐xylene and p‐xylene in Claus process

Claus process, comprising of a furnace and a catalytic unit, is used to produce sulfur from H₂S. The aromatic contaminants (benzene, toluene, and xylenes) in H₂S feed form soot, and clog and deactivate the catalysts. Xylenes are known to be the most damaging ones. Therefore, there is a need to oxidize them in the furnace to enhance catalyst life. This article presents a kinetics study on the oxidation of o‐ and p‐xylene radicals by SO₂ (an oxidant that is already present in the furnace) using density functional theory and a composite method. The mechanism begins with H‐abstraction from xylenes to form xylyl radicals, followed by exothermic addition of SO₂ to them. The breakage of O S bond in the xylyl‐SO₂ adducts leads to the loss of SO molecule, while the remaining O atom on them helps in their oxidation. The isomerization study shows that less‐stable dimethylphenyl radicals have a high tendency to isomerize to resonantly stabilized methylbenzyl radicals. However, methylbenzyl radicals have lower reactivity toward SO₂ than dimethylphenyl radicals. The reaction rate constants were found using transition state theory. The reactor simulations reveal that p‐xylene has lower reactivity toward SO₂ than o‐xylene, and CO, SO, and CHO are the main by‐products of oxidation.     

H2S splitting on Cu(110): Insight from combined periodic density functional theory calculations and microkinetic simulation

Practical copper (Cu)‐based catalysts for the water–gas shift (WGS) reaction was long believed to expose a large proportion of Cu(110) planes. In this work, as an important first step toward addressing sulfur poisoning of these catalysts, the detailed mechanism for the splitting of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) on the open Cu(110) facet has been investigated in the framework of periodic, self‐consistent density functional theory (DFT‐GGA). The microkinetic model based on the first‐principles calculations has also been developed to quantitatively evaluate the two considered decomposition routes for yielding surface atomic sulfur (S*): (1) H₂S → H₂S* → SH* → S* and (2) 2H₂S → 2H₂S* → 2SH* → S* + H₂S* → S* + H₂S. The first pathway proceeding through unimolecular SH* dissociation was identified to be feasible, whereas the second pathway involving bimolecular SH* disproportionation made no contribution to S* formation. The molecular adsorption of H₂S is the slowest elementary step of its full decomposition, being related with the large entropy term of the gas‐phase reactant under realistic reaction conditions. A comparison of thermodynamic and kinetic reactivity between the substrate and the close‐packed Cu(111) surface further shows that a loosely packed facet can promote the S* formation from H₂S on Cu, thus revealing that the reaction process is structure sensitive. The present DFT and microkinetic modeling results provide a reasonably complete picture for the chemistry of H₂S on the Cu(110) surface, which is a necessary basis for the design of new sulfur‐tolerant WGS catalysts. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Cadmium(II) diallyldithiocarbamato complexes with 2,2′-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline: spectroscopic and crystal structure analysis

Complexes of Cd(II) with diallyldithiocarbamato (hereafter denoted aldtc) and 2,2′-bipyridine (bipy) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) are discussed. Derivatives of general formula [Cd(aldtc)₂(NN)] [NN = bipy, 1 and phen, 2] have been obtained by direct reaction between Cd(NO₃)₂ and a 2 : 1 molar ratio of aldtc and NN. The new complexes have been characterized by IR, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Their single crystal structures were also determined. Compounds 1 and 2 have severely distorted octahedral coordination around cadmium, defined by an N₂S₄ donor set. The structure of 1 is isomorphous with the recently reported zinc analogue. The crystal packing of 1 shows different non-classical intermolecular interactions represented in both hydrophilic (π)C–H ··· S and hydrophobic (allyl)C–H ··· C(π) intermolecular interactions. Such interactions result in a chain arrangement of molecules along the crystallographic c-axis. These chains are further connected via π ··· π stacking along with (π)C–H ··· S parallel to b leading to an overall crystal packing that can be regarded as layers of complexes along the bc plane. Molecules in the crystal structure of 2 are arranged into infinite chains, down the b-axis, that are connected by aryl ··· aryl stacking. The chains are further connected to each other in a and c directions via (allyl)C–H ··· S interactions.