A novel approach for modulating the morphology of supported metal nanoparticles in hydrodesulfurization catalysts

This article proposes a novel cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-and fluorine-assisted hydrothermal deposition method for modulating the morphology of supported metal nanoparticles in NiWF/Al2O3 hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysts. The proposed approach significantly promotes the dispersion of supported W species by bridging and anchoring the precursor of W species onto the surface of fluorinated Al2O3 as well as restraining the subsequent aggregation of W species in calcination. The dual effects of the improved dispersion and F-enhanced stacking endow the corresponding catalyst with superior morphology featured by sufficient and accessible Ni-W-S active phases and thereby with a remarkably promoted HDS performance as compared to its counterpart prepared by the conventional impregnation method. We successfully demonstrate the roles of the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide- and fluorine-assisted hydrothermal deposition method in tuning the morphology of supported metal nanoparticles in HDS catalysts, shedding light on the rational design and fabrication of supported metal sulfide catalysts.