On the Performance of Metal Supported Catalysts Prepared by Microemulsion: Sol Gel and Precipitation of the Support Precursor

Abstract

Ni/SiO2, NiMo/Al2O3 and CoMo/Al2O3 were prepared by microemulsion method. Precipitation and sol-gel of the support precursor allowed the synthesis of catalysts with differences in textural, structural and catalytic properties. The main difference between the precipitation and sol-gel microemulsion routes is the role of surfactant (Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide) in each synthesis method. The aggregation mechanism of support is modified by the synthesis route. There are differences in the catalytic performance of Ni/SiO2 microemulsion catalysts by the precipitation or sol-gel of support precursor. The hydrogenation of benzene, a low structure-sensitive reaction, showed that the precipitation 9%Ni/SiO2 microemulsion catalyst is more active than the sol-gel 9%Ni/SiO2 microemulsion catalyst. On other hand, these catalysts showed opposite result in the hydrogenation of C=C double bond of crotonaldehyde molecule. These results are indicative of the effects of nanostructured support and nanostructured active-phase in the hydrogenation activity. NiMo/Al2O3 and CoMo/Al2O3 catalysts prepared by sol-gel-microemulsion method were used in the hydrodesulphurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene. The HDS activity was improved as a function of metal content and it motivates the study of NiMo and CoMo microemulsion catalysts with higher contents of metals to enhance the HDS of 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene.