CoMo Hydrotreating Catalysts Supported on Al2O3, SiO2 and SBA-15 Prepared from Single Co2Mo10-Heteropolyacid: In Search of Self-Promotion Effect

CoMo hydrotreating catalysts with varied metal loading (1–4 Mo at nm − 2 ) based on Co 2 Mo 10 heteropolyacid (HPA) and different supports (γ-Al 2 O 3 , SBA-15, SiO 2 ) were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation. The catalysts were characterized by N 2 physisorption, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Catalytic activity was evaluated in co-hydrotreating (HDT) of the model feed containing dibenzothiophene (DBT) and naphthalene. The catalytic properties of CoMo catalysts were shown to depend on the morphological characteristics of CoMoS species, its promotion degree, and metal loading. The sulfidation degree of the initial precursor and effective cobalt amount in the CoMoS species increased with the Mo loading increase from 1 to 4 at nm − 2 in all studied catalysts. The DBT conversion maximum was achieved over CoMo/Al 2 O 3 and CoMo/SBA-15 with 4 Mo at nm − 2 . CoMo/SBA-15 catalysts had higher TOF numbers both in DBT HDS and in naphthalene hydrogenation (HYD) at the surface concentration of Mo same as in the other samples. These results can be attributed to optimal morphology of sulfide particles and the Co/Mo promotion degree due to a more suitable interaction between the active phase and support in mesoporous silica channels. Graphical Abstract