Liquid phase ad(C)sorption of benzothiophene (BT) has been studied over CuCl2-loaded analogous metalorganic frameworks (MOFs), metal-benzenedicarboxylates (Me-BDCs, Me: Al, Cr and V), to understand the effect of central metal ions on the adsorptive removal of BT from a model fuel. Among the central metal ions (Al3+, Cr3+ and V3+) of the Me-BDCs only V3+ was oxidized by the loaded CuCl2 (or Cu2+) at ambient condition resulting in V4+ and Cu+ species. Different from the CuCl2-loaded Al- and Cr-BDCs, the CuCl2/V-BDC adsorbed BT remarkably well compared to the virgin V-BDCs which suggests a specific favorable interaction (pi-complexation) between the obtained Cu+ in the CuCl2/V-BDC and BT. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.