Structure and catalytic properties of molybdenum sulfide nanoplatelets

Nora Elizondo-Villarreal, Rodrigo Velázquez-Castillo, Donald H. Galván, A. Camacho, Miguel José Yacamán

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

A nanostructured form of molybdenum disulfide/dioxide was prepared by a two-step hydrothermal/gas phase reaction carried at high-temperature sulfidation of molybdenum in H2S/H2 for 2 h. The material was composed of a solid MoO2 core with MoS2+x crystallites nucleating on its surface. Most of the MoS2+x have the shape of a single stacked platelet, which are 12-30 nm long and are about one MoS2 unit cell wide. High-resolution electron microscopy (HREM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), in high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF). Electron diffraction (EDX) in the transmission electron microscope and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the structure of the catalysts. It is found that the sample consists of MoS2+x nanoplatelets with unit cell thickness which are exfoliated and are free to rotate along the basal plane. In addition, the edges of the platelets become very rough increasing the number of adsorption sites. The structure-catalytic properties of MoS2+x for hydrogenation over sulfur removal were observed in the hydrodesulphurization (HDS) reaction of dibenzothiophene (DBT). It was found that nanoplatelets have a very high catalytic activity for HDS. The number of adsorption sites is incremented by the presence of steps and kinks at the edges of the nanoplatelets.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)88-97
Number of pages10
JournalApplied Catalysis A: General
Volume328
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 31 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Electron microscopy
  • Hydrodesulphurization
  • Molybdenum sulfide nanoplatelets

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Catalysis
  • Process Chemistry and Technology

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