Influence of the activation atmosphere on the hydrodesulfurization of Co-Mo/SBA-15 catalysts prepared from sulfur-containing precursors

[Display omitted] ► Mesoporous SBA-15 material support of binary Co-Mo hydrodesulfurization catalysts. ► The effects of atmosphere and activation temperature for active CoMo/SBA-15 catalysts. ► Confinement effect of MoS2 slabs inside the SBA-15 channels. Mesoporous SBA-15 material was used as support of binary Co-Mo hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysts prepared using a novel approach based on the use of already sulfided precursors (ammonium tetrathiomolybdate and cobalt diethyldithiocarbamate). The effects of atmosphere and activation temperature were studied to optimize the preparation of highly active CoMo/SBA-15 hydrodesulfurization catalysts. Two sets of catalysts were synthesized using either a N2/H2 (10% H2) or a H2/H2S (15% H2S) atmosphere at three different temperatures of activation (723, 773 and 823K). The catalysts were tested in the HDS of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and the catalysts were characterized by N2 physisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The use of already sulfided precursors leads to a homogeneous dispersion of the active phase inside the SBA-15 channels. Moreover, the N2/H2 activation procedure at 723K allows obtaining optimized HDS active catalysts. Finally, a confinement effect of MoS2 slabs inside the SBA-15 channels leads to a high selectivity along the direct desulfurization pathway.