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Surface spectroscopic study of sulfided molybdena-alumina catalysts

Journal Article · · J. Phys. Chem.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/j150647a027· OSTI ID:5130706

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA), low-energy ion-scattering spectroscopy (ISS), and X-ray diffraction have been used to characterize a series of sulfided and reduced MoO/sub 3//..gamma..-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ catalysts. X-ray diffraction has shown the presence of small MoS/sub 2/ crystallites on a catalyst prepared by impregnation of ammonium thiomolybdate in ..gamma..-alumina with subsequent calcination. ESCA and ISS have identified the presence of both MoS/sub 2/ and Mo(V) on a MoO/sub 3//..gamma..-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ catalyst sulfided with 15% H/sub 2/S/H/sub 2/. The octahedrally and tetrahedrally coordinated molybdenum on an oxidic MoO/sub 3//..gamma..-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ precursor catalyst show different sulfidation behavior. At low Mo concentrations, tetrahedrally coordinated molybdenum is reduced mostly to Mo(V) and only partially sulfided to MoS/sub 2/. Increasing the MoO/sub 3/ loading above 8% MoO/sub 3/ caused formation of excess octahedrally coordinated molybdenum which leads to a significant increase of MoS/sub 2/ on the sulfided catalyst. After monolayer coverage has been reached, formation of Al/sub 2/(MoO/sub 4/)/sub 3/ and MoO/sub 3/ result in prominent MoS/sub 2/ formation and a small amount of Mo(V) on the sulfided catalyst. The effect of calcination temperature has been studied; it was found that decreased calcination temperatures favor formation of MoS/sub 2/ on sulfided MoO/sub 3//..gamma..-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ catalysts.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-79ER10485
OSTI ID:
5130706
Journal Information:
J. Phys. Chem.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Phys. Chem.; (United States) Vol. 88:3; ISSN JPCHA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English