Mg-modified CoMo/Al2O3 with enhanced catalytic activity for the hydrodesulfurization of 4, 6-dimethyldibenzothiophene

Abstract Hydrodesulfurization of 4, 6-dimethyldibenzothiophene is of great significance for emission reduction and environmental protection. Herein, the effects of Mg addition on CoMo/Al2O3 were systematically studied for the hydrodesulfurization of 4, 6-dimethyldibenzothiophene. The CoMo/Mg-Al2O3 was formed by incorporating Mg in the alumina lattice and showed excellent hydrodesulfurization performance compared to CoMo/Mg/Al2O3 formed after deposition of Mg on the alumina surface and to CoMo/Al2O3 without introducing Mg. Experimental characterization and theoretical calculations showed that the introduction of Mg is beneficial to the formation of β-CoMoO4, which significantly promoted the production of CoMoS active sites. Meanwhile, the introduction of Mg mainly improved the medium-strong surface basic sites.