Oxidation and reduction of molybdenum disulfide catalyst and their effects on the decomposition of 2-propanol

The catalytic activity and selectivity of variously pretreated molybdenum disulfide for the decomposition of 2-propanol were studied at 200°C by use of a closed circulation system. The pretreatment of MoS2 with hydrogen and oxygen influenced remarkably the catalytic activity and selectivity of MoS2 in the decomposition of 2-propanol. The dehydrogenation of 2-propanol proceeded preferentially on the reduced MoS2 catalyst, and the dehydration proceeded on the oxidized MoS2 catalyst in the decomposition of 2-propanol. The active sites of reduced and oxidized MoS2 catalysts for the decomposition of 2-propanol were assumed to be the coordinatively unsaturated sites and the acidic sites of molybdenum oxysulfide on MoS2 surface formed by the reduction and oxidation of MoS2, respectively.