Microkinetic interpretation of HDS/HYDO selectivity of the transformation of a model FCC gasoline over transition metal sulfides

The conversion of a model FCC gasoline (composed of 2-methylthiophene (2MT), 2,3-dimethylbut-2-ene (23DMDB2N) and orthoxylene in n-heptane) under realistic hydrodesulfurization (HDS) conditions was investigated over a serie transition monometallic sulfides (Ni3S2, PdS, Co9S8, Rh2S3, RuS2, PtS and MoS2) and unsupported transition bimetallic sulfide catalysts (NiMoS and CoMoS). The results reveal for the first time that a volcano curve relationship exists between the ab initio calculated sulfur–metal bond energy, E(MS), descriptor of bulk TMS and their activities in olefin hydrogenation and in alkylthiophene desulfurization measured simultaneously. In particular, Rh2S3 with an intermediate sulfur–metal bond energy of 119 kJ/mol is the most active catalyst in both case hydrogenation of the olefin and in HDS of a sulfur compound. Furthermore, the HDS/HYDO selectivity which is the most important parameter in the deep HDS of gasoline, presents a maximum for the NiMoS catalyst with E(MS) of 128 kJ/mol. A microkinetic model based on Brønsted–Evans–Polanyi relationships and the competitive adsorption of the sulfur molecule and alkene on the catalytic site is proposed to give a rational interpretation of the experimental catalytic results.