A new approach for preparation of oil-soluble bimetallic dispersed catalyst from layered ammonium nickel molybdate

A new route via the coating of layered ammonium nickel molybdate with oleic acid was developed to prepare an oil-soluble bimetallic dispersed catalyst for the hydrocracking reaction of heavy oil. The layered ammonium nickel molybdate, termed Ni-LTM precursor, was synthesized by precipitation, and the NiMo oleate complex was prepared with the oleic acid serving as an organic ligand. The prepared materials were characterized with X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that the oleic acid is chemisorbed as a carboxylate onto the Ni-LTM nanoparticles, specifically on Ni–O bond. Also, the catalytic activities were compared between the NiMo oleate complex and other ordinary monometallic dispersed catalysts. The NiMo oleate complex showed excellent catalytic activity, demonstrating its potential to be applied as a novel dispersed catalyst.