Research progress in active phase structure and reaction mechanism of MoS2-based catalysts for hydrodesulfurization

Hydrodesulfurization(HDS) is an important process in producing clean fuel. MoS2-based catalysts are the major catalysts in HDS, therefore a thorough understanding of the active phase structure and HDS mechanism is useful for the development of new catalysts. This paper reviewed the active phase structure of MoS2-based catalysts, including the effects of sulfiding conditions, promoter atoms and support type. And a general overview of the challenges of characterization on the active phase structure of MoS2-based catalysts was provided. The microstructure characteristics of the active phase under different conditions were summarized. Meanwhile, the catalytic mechanism of thiophene HDS was analyzed based on the composition and structure of MoS2-based catalysts, and the results indicated that the HDS activity was closely related to the catalyst's microstructure. Finally, the important role of theoretical calculation in the development and design of efficient hydrodesulfurization catalysts was outlined. © 2019, Chemical Industry Press. All right reserved.