In-situ activation of NiMo catalyst based on support surface-bound thiols: A green approach to catalyst sulfidation and improved activity

The sulfidation of NiMo catalyst by thermal decomposition of support surface-bound thiols to generate stoichiometric amount of H2S has proved to be a clean and remarkable approach for catalyst activation. The role of loading of thiol groups on the formation and dispersion of MoS2 active phase on the mesoporous silica support was further evaluated. The catalytic activity of the supported catalysts and a reference catalyst was evaluated in the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene. The soft acid-soft base interaction between Mo metal and thiol groups enhanced proportionately the metal's dispersion on the thiol containing support. The thermal decomposition of thiols to generate H2S result in slow and uniform sulfidation of the NiMo to form the NiMoS catalyst. This approach of in-situ generation of H2S for sulfidation provides a promising green method of activating the HDS catalysts without direct use of H2S. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

The sulfidation of NiMo catalyst by thermal decomposition of support surface-bound thiols to generate H2S is a clean and effective method for catalyst activation. The loading of thiol groups affects the formation and dispersion of MoS2 active phase on the support, and the interaction between thiol groups and Mo metal enhances metal dispersion on the thiol-containing support.