To explore characteristics of active metals for reactive adsorption desulfurization (RADS) technology, the adsorption of thiophene on M (100) (M= Cr, Mo, Co, Ni, Cu, Au, and Ag) surfaces was systematically studied by density functional theory with vdW correction (DFT + D3). We found that, in all case, the most stable molecular adsorption site was the hollow site and adsorptive capabilities of thiophene followed the order: Cr >Mo > Co, approximate to Ni > Cu >Au approximate to Ag. By analyzing the nature of binding between thiophene and corresponding metals and the electronic structure of metals, the excessive activities of Cr and Mo were found to have a negative regeneration, the passive activities of Au and Ag were found to have an inactive adsorption for RADS adsorbent alone, while Ni and Co have appropriate characteristics as the active metals for RADS, followed by Cu. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.