Hierarchical macro-mesoporous Mo/Al2O3 catalysts prepared by dual-template method for oxidative desulfurization

A series of Al2O3 materials with hierarchical macro-mesoporous structure were synthesized by a dual-template method, using surfactant Pluronic P123 and polystyene (PS) spheres as templates. Then, the catalysts Mo/Al2O3 were prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation method. The samples were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, N2 adsorption–desorption, TEM. Characterization results demonstrated that the amount of templates would change the surface area and morphology of the catalyst. Furthermore, the Mo/Al2O3 catalysts were evaluated for ultra-deep oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of sulphur-containing compounds using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as oxidant. The catalyst Mo/Al2O3-1-1 which soft and hard template was added equally of 1 g had excellent catalytic performance, which could be attributed to the combination of its macropores allowing for reactant species transport and the contribution of mesopores with high surface area enabling sufficient exposure of catalytic active sites. In addition, the Mo/Al2O3-1-1 catalyst showed good stability after 10 cycles.