Zeolite subcrystal-induced formation of short and curved NiMoS2 slabs toward highly efficient hydrodesulfurization

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) holds promise in catalysis due to its edge-confined activity, but its structural rigidity and strong in-plane Mo-S bonding limit the exposure of active sites. Herein, we propose a high-curvature support-induced method using ultrasmall ZSM-5 subcrystals (Z-5-SC) to tailor the formation of NiMoS 2 on them. The high curvature and abundant external silanol groups of Z-5-SC induce tensile strain and strong interfacial anchoring, generating short and curved NiMoS 2 slabs with enhanced sulfur vacancies and Ni-Mo-S phase formation. Compared to nanocrystalline zeolite supports, the NiMoS 2 /Z-5-SC exhibits 7.3-fold higher hydrodesulfurization (HDS) activity toward 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene ( k HDS  = 0.624 h −1 ), rapid hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) response with minimized HDS suppression in simultaneous HDS and HDN reactions, and excellent cycling stability over 15 cycles. This work presents an effective curvature-engineering strategy to enhance the catalytic potential of MoS 2 , offering new insights into the design of engineered two-dimensional materials for hydrotreating and beyond.