Preparation of polymeric nanocomposites with hollow spherical structure composed of magnetic nanoparticles by microemulsion method; Application in deep desulfurization

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) hollow nanospheres composed of Fe2O3 nanoparticles have beensynthesized using a new microemulsion method. In this stepwise method a core/shell nanocomposite was prepared inan oil-in-water microemulsion system. The polymerized core of the system removed by a solvent to obtain a hollowsphere particle. The synthesized nanocomposite sample was identified using TEM and FT-IR techniques. Thefabricated PMMA/Fe2O3 hollow nanosphere sample was used as an excellent magnetic adsorbent for removal ofsulphur compounds from gasoline. Removal experiment over PMMA/Fe2O3 showed that the desulfurization yield isaround 94 % for initial sulfur concentration of 100 ppm for maximum removal time of 60 min.

Keywords:

Microemulsion , Hollow Sphere , Nanocomposite , PMMA