Effect of Reduction Temperature on the Hydrodesulfurization Performance of Carbon-doped Alumina-supported Nickel Phosphide Catalyst

Nickel phosphide–carbon-doped alumina (Ni2P/Al2O3–C) catalysts with 10 wt.％ Ni2P loading were successfully prepared via a hydrothermal reduction process and the effect of reduction temperature on the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) performance of the as-prepared Ni2P/Al2O3–C catalysts was investigated. The properties of the support (Al2O3–C) and Ni2P/Al2O3–C catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller measurements, X-ray diffractometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results indicated that the incorporation of carbon in the support aided the reduction of Ni2P. With an increase in the reduction temperature, Ni and Ni12P5 were first generated and then converted into crystalline Ni2P. Furthermore, a higher reduction temperature enhanced the HDS performance of the catalyst by generating more well-dispersed active-phase crystalline Ni2P.