Hydrodesulfurization activity of Ni-containing unsupported Ga(x)WS2 catalysts

Nickel addition in the unsupported Ga-containing WS2 catalysts of varying Ga-content on their catalytic performance for the hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene was studied. Nickel addition caused a drastic enhancement of the catalytic activity of the samples. The catalyst with 1.5 wt% Ni addition showed the highest activity. Besides, all Ga-loaded catalysts enhanced the hydrogenation pathway of dibenzothiophene transformation, starting with the hydrocracking reactions of the aromatic rings prior to their hydrogenation. FTIR studies of NO adsorption showed that Ga-addition increased both the dispersion of Ni and W species and the interaction of Ni species with W.