EXAFS measurements of a working catalyst in the liquid phase: An in situ study of a Ni2P hydrodesulfurization catalyst

Strict environmental regulations and declining quality of petroleum feedstocks have made sulfur removal one of the most important current problems in refining. A novel, high-activity Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst with exceptional activity in deep hydrodesulfurization (HDS) was studied by in situ extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). The measurements were conducted at realistic conditions of high pressure (3 MPa) and high temperature (613 K) and were made possible by the use of a low-volume cell with cubic boron nitride windows. The spectra thus obtained reveal that the bulk Ni2P structure is stable at reaction conditions, but that the active surface has Nisingle bondS bonds.