SYNTHESIS AND ACTIVITY OF HYDROTREATING CATALYSTS PREPARED VIA PROMOTION BY LOW-VALENT TRANSITION-METAL COMPLEXES

A new family of hydrotreating catalysts is developed via low-temperature chemical reaction of the edge of preformed MoS2 particles. Specifically, an "edge decoration" is achieved via reaction of MoS2 with low-valent organometallic complexes such as Co2(CO)8. This approach is suggested by the reactivity of similar low-valent organometallics with molecular complexes whose structure contains fragments that resemble those in transition-metal sulfides. Activity tests with pure compounds and commercial feedstocks have shown that these catalysts are active for hydrodesulfurizatlon. © 1991.