BIOCATALYTIC OXIDATION OF FUEL AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO BIODESULFURIZATION

A biotechnological method for fuel desulfurization is described. The m ethod includes the steps of biocatalytic oxidation of organosulfides a nd thiophenes, contained in the fuel, with hemoproteins to form sulfox ides and sulfones, followed by a distillation step in which these oxid ized compounds are removed from the fuel. Straight-run diesel fuel con taining 1.6% sulfur was biocatalytically oxidized with chloroperoxidas e from Caldariomyces fumago in the presence of 0.25 mM hydrogen peroxi de, The reaction was carried out at room temperature and the organosul fur compounds were effectively transformed to their respective sulfoxi des and sulfones which were then removed by distillation, The resultin g fraction after distillation contained only 0.27% sulfur. Biocatalyti c oxidation of fuels appears as an interesting alternative to biodesul furization. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.