LAUSR

Abstract The mesoporous aluminosilicates Al-HMS (Si/Al = 10) and Al-MCM-41 (Si/Al = 20) types were synthesized via the neutral templating pathway and used as supports for Ni-Mo sulfide catalysts, prepared by standard incipient wetness co-impregnation technique followed by sulfidation procedure. Ni and Mo content were 7 and 24 wt.% respectively. Both mesoporous aluminosilicates and supported oxide Ni-Mo catalyst precursors were characterized by TEM, solid-state 29Si and 27Al MAS NMR, N2 adsorption/desorption, TPD-NH3, TPR-H2, ICP-AES techniques. The chemical state and surface composition of freshly sulfided catalysts were revealed by XPS and TEM. The performance of mesoporous Al-HMS and Al-MCM-41 supported Ni-Mo sulfide catalysts in hydroconversion of 1-methylnaphtalene (1 MN), 2- methylnaphthalene (2 MN) and dibenzothiophene (DBT) was studied in high-pressure batch reactor at T = 320-400 °C, P(CO) = 3–5 MPa in the presence of water (20 wt.%) providing in situ hydrogen generation through a water gas shift reaction (WGSR). The results obtained showed that Al-HMS-based catalysts are more active in hydrogenation of aromatics while the higher DBT conversions were obtained over Al-MCM-41 supported catalyst. Mo-containing supported catalysts promoted by Ni were found the most active at T = 380 °C, P(CO) = 3 MPa and CO/H2O molar ratio 1.5–2.0.