Hydrocracking of 1-methylnaphtalene (1MN) over modified clays-supported NiMoS and NiWS catalyst

Abstract A series of catalysts was synthesized using two delaminated mesoporous Colombian clays as supports (vermiculite and bentonite), and incorporating NiMo and NiW as active species, taking advantage of their acidic and mesoporous properties to be used in hydroconversion of hydrocarbons. The synthesized solids were characterized by N2 physisorption, temperature programmed reduction (TPR-H2), diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy using NH3 as the probe molecule (DRIFT), temperature programmed desorption (TPD-NH3) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These catalysts were evaluated in the hydrocracking of 1-methyl naphthalene (HCK 1MN), finding that the catalyst with NiMo as its active phase supported on delaminated vermiculite, presents the best catalytic performance, associated, among others, with the important formation of the NiMoS sulfided phase, detected by XPS.