Nickel–molybdenum sulfide catalysts supported on an ordered mesoporous polymer for hydrogenating–hydrocracking of model biaromatic petroleum compounds

Nickel–molybdenum sulfide catalysts have been synthesized in situ in a hydrocarbon medium by the decomposition of the [(n-Bu)4N]2Ni(MoS4)2 precursor complex supported on an ordered mesoporous phenol–formaldehyde polymer in the presence of a sulfiding agent (dimethyl disulfide). The catalytic properties of the samples have been studied in a batch reactor at 380°C and a hydrogen pressure of 5.0 MPa using the example of naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene, and 2-methylnaphthalene. The tests have shown that the conversion of biaromatic substrates is close to quantitative and the use of dimethyl disulfide as a sulfiding agent leads to an increase in the amount of complete hydrogenation products, as evidenced by the high content of the active phase in this case.