A B S T R A C T This inquiry studied the application of photocatalytic desulfurization as an effective method for removing sulfur- containing organic compounds from gas condensate extracted from oil wells. To this end, cadmium diacetate and zinc diacetate compounds were prepared as the liquid catalysts. Then their structures were confirmed and their properties were determined by common methods, including FTIR, NMR, and UV. Subsequently, their perfor- mances as catalysts were investigated by an optical technique for the desulfurization process. Accordingly, the study used a photoreactor equipped with a 250 W mercury ultraviolet lamp with a maximum wavelength of 365 nm, and investigated and optimized the effect of the ratios of the influencing parameters on the total sulfur removal efficiency. These included the ratios of fuel to photocatalyst, H2O2, and acetonitrile. Ratios of 1:2:3:2 and 1:3:2:1 (fuel: catalyst: oxidant: solvent) of zinc and cadmium diacetate led to 93.5 % and 87.1 % reduction of the total sulfur content, respectively, after 60 min since the exposure process. Also, under sunlight, the total sulfur removal was 67.0 % for the Zn diacetate and 42.0 % for Cd diacetate. Liquid diacetate photocatalysts were successfully recycled over five cycles with only a maximum of 10 % reduction in efficiency. The kinetics of the systems studied were evaluated under optimal conditions and it was found that both systems fit the pseudo-first order model with rate constants of 0.148 min 1 and 0.098 min 1, respectively. In the final step, some physi- cochemical properties of the desulfurized sample crucial in evaluation of fuel quality were determined under optimal conditions and compared with the properties of the original sample. The results indicated that the liquid photocatalysts used in the experiment increased the quality of the fuel by changing its important indicators by reducing its freezing point in addition to increasing its cetane number
