EXAFS characterisation and catalytic properties of supported niobium sulphide catalysts

Niobium sulphide supported catalysts can reach catalytic activities higher than those of classical MoS2 based catalysts. However, the nature of the support and the sulfurizing agent are of prime importance. Depending on the preparation and the activation method, dispersed particles of different entities such as NbS3, NbS2 and Nb1-yS can be identified using the EXAFS technique. In this work, relations between structural arrangement and catalytic activity are discussed; species with cation clustering are shown to be particularly active.