Enhanced catalytic activity of monodispersed porous Al2O3 colloidal spheres with NiMo for simultaneous hydrodesulfurization and hydrogenation

Novel composites made from monodispersed porous Al-glycolate spheres (NiMo/Al-SP) were synthesized through alcoholysis or hydrolysis treatments. The obtained samples were characterized by a complementary combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N2 physisorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), and pyridine Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (Py FT-IR). In addition, the catalytic performances of the resultant catalysts were evaluated in the simultaneous HDS of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and HYD of naphthalene (DBT and naphthalene represent the sulfur-containing compounds and polycyoalkanes, respectively). The experimental results showed that, 71.22% DBT and 88.28% naphthalene were converted by NiMo/Al-SP(H) under the conditions of 270 °C temperature, 5 MPa H2 (initial pressure at room temperature) and 10 h reaction time. The design and preparation of NiMo/Al-SP provide an effective and novel pathway for the development of high-performance catalysts and production processes.