N-ethyl-imidazolium-based alkylphosphate ionic liquid (I L), viz. N-ethyl-N-methyl-imidazolium dimethylphosphate ([EMIM][DMP]), N-ethyl-N-ethyl-imidazolium diethylphosphate ([EEIM][DEP]) and N-butyl-N-ethyl-imidazolium clibutylphosphate ([BEIM][DBP]) were demonstrated to be effective for the removal of aromatic sulfur compounds (S-compound) 3-methylthiophene (3-MT), benzothiophene (BT) and dibenzothiophene (DBT) from fuel oils in terms of sulfur partition coefficients (K-N) at 298.15 K. It was shown that the extractive ability of the alkylphosphate ILs was dominated by the structure of the cation and followed the order [BEIM][DBP]> EEIM][DEP]> [EMIM][DMP] for each S-compound studied with their K-N,-value being 1.72, 1.61 and 1.17, respectively for DBT. For a specified I L the sulfur selectivity followed the order DBT > BT > 3-MT with their K-N-value being 1.61, 1.39 and 0.78, respectively for [EEIM][DEP]. The alkylphosphate ILs are insoluble in fuel while the fuel solubility in ILs varies from 20.6 mg(fuel)/g(IL) for [EMIM][DMP] to 266.9 mg(fuel)/g(IL) for [BEIM][DBP]. The results suggest that [EEIM][DEP] might be used as a promising solvent for the extractive desulfurization of fuel, considering its higher sulfur extractive ability, lower solubility for fuel and thus negligible influence on the constituent of fuel, and the ease of regeneration for the spent IL via water dilution process. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.