One-step synthesis of egg-tray-like layered ordered macro-mesoporous SiO2–Al2O3 composites for enhanced hydrodesulfurization performance

The layered ordered macro-mesopores (LOMM) silica-alumina composites with an egg-tray-like morphology fabricated by an effective dual-templating approach and the performance tests in hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) were investigated. The influence of the concentration of template and the ratio of silica to alumina on the synthesized samples was studied in detail. The as-prepared samples were characterized using techniques such as XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, pyridine-FTIR, SEM, and TEM. These results revealed that all the synthesized silica-alumina composites have an egg-tray-like layered structure and a highly ordered macro-mesopores structure. The addition of aluminum also leads to an increase in the amount of both B and L acid sites. The hierarchically porous system with the layered ordered macro-mesopores and the tunable acidity of the LOMM silica-alumina composites are responsible for the improved HDS performance of DBT by 27% in terms of the desulfurization activity compared with the catalyst prepared by LOMM silica support.