Recent density functional studies of hydrodesulfurization catalysts: insight into structure and mechanism

The present article will highlight some recent density functional theory (DFT) studies of hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysts. It will be summarized how DFT in combination with experimental studies can give a detailed picture of the structure of the active phase. Furthermore, we have used DFT to investigate the reaction pathway for thiophene HDS, and we find that the reaction entails a complex interplay of different active sites, depending on reaction conditions. An investigation of pyridine inhibition confirmed some of these results. These fundamental insights constitute a basis for rational improvement of HDS catalysts, as they have provided important structure-activity relationships.