Ni2P-MoS2/γ-Al2O3 catalyst for deep hydrodesulfurization via the hydrogenation reaction pathway

A series of highly active Ni2P-MoS2/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared and characterized, the catalytic performance of which was evaluated through hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene. The result indicated that when the amount of Ni2P was 4%, the catalyst showed a relatively high activity to provide a reliable reference for the hydrodesulfurization pathway in comparison with the conventional NiMo and NiMoP catalysts. The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were correlated with their catalytic activity and selectivity on hydrodesulfurization. The stacking number of active MoS2 phases was important for influencing the hydrogenation activity.