MOF-derived CoP/C catalyst for efficient dibenzothiophene hydrodesulfurization

The design of an active and sulfur-resistant catalyst for dibenzothiophene (DBT) hydrodesulfurization (HDS) in crude oil purification is highly desirable but remains a grand challenge. Here, two carbon-supported cobalt phosphide catalysts Co2P/C and CoP/C, and a reference sample Co/C are successfully synthesized using a metal–organic-frameworks (MOFs) precursor. A P/Co ratio dependence on crystal phases is found, leading to the formation of two pure-phase cobalt phosphide catalysts CoP/C and Co2P/C. Catalyst evaluation in HDS of DBT shows that the CoP/C catalyst exhibits a higher activity and stability than Co2P/C and Co/C, giving a 93.7 % DBT conversion with 100 h stability under 3 MPa and 380 ◦C. Moreover, a 67.4 % biphenyl yield characterizes the dominance of the direct desulfurization (DDS) pathway. The obtained catalytic performance over the CoP/C catalyst is also superior to the published cobalt phosphide catalysts. Multiple characterization techniques co-evidence that the copious specific surface area, efficient electron transport from Co to P, high thermal stability of Co nanoparticles (NPs), and strong sulfur resistance account for the enhanced catalytic performance of CoP/C. The findings of this report suggest that phosphorus-modified cobalt over the carbon support can act as a promising catalyst for the HDS of DBT.