EXAFS study of the local structure of Ni in Ni-MoS2/C hydrodesulfurization catalysts

To study the local structure of the Ni promoter atom, the Ni and Mo K edge EXAFS spectra of Ni-MoS2/C hydrodesulfurization catalyst were measured in an in-situ EXAFS cell at 77 K. The Ni atom is situated in a square pyramid of five S atoms at a distance of 2.21 Å from the S atoms. In addition an EXAFS contribution due to a Mo atom at 2.82 Å from the Ni atom could be identified. This local structure indicates that the Ni atoms are situated on top of the S4 squares at the MoS2 edges in millerite-type Ni sites. The Ni atoms are situated in the planes of the Mo atoms and not in the intercalation plane midway between successive MoS2 sandwich layers.