Flower-like nickel phosphide catalyst for petroleum resin hydrogenation with enhanced catalytic activity, hydrodesulfurization ability and stability

• The flower-like nickel phosphide catalysts were prepared by a hydrotalcite strategy. • Ni 2 P/Al 2 O 3 catalyst showed excellent catalytic activity and desulfurization ability. • The outstanding performance ascribed to the rich active Ni δ+ species. • The enhanced stability was due to strong interaction between active sites and support. The catalytic hydrogenation of petroleum resin (PR) to high value-added hydrogenated PR (HPR) represents a forward-looking technology for upgrading the pyrolysis petroleum by-product. Herein, flower-like and pure-phase supported nickel phosphide catalysts were controllably fabricated through a hydrotalcite strategy with red phosphorous as the P source. The PR hydrogenation activity of the catalysts followed the order of Ni 2 P/Al 2 O 3 > NiP 2 /Al 2 O 3 > Ni/Al 2 O 3 > imp-Ni 2 P catalysts (prepared by impregnation method). Such enhanced performance of Ni 2 P/Al 2 O 3 could be ascribed to small nickel phosphide particle size and rich active Ni δ+ species. Notably, the sulfur contents of PR were effectively reduced from 55.4 (C 5 PR) and 72.3 ppm (C 9 PR) to 3.8 and 7.9 ppm after hydrogenation by Ni 2 P/Al 2 O 3 . Meanwhile, Ni 2 P/Al 2 O 3 also exhibited good stability with the hydrogenation degree of HC 5 PR maintaining at 94.39% after 100 hours. Our work provides a promising nickel phosphide catalyst with outstanding hydrogenation activity, hydrodesulfurization ability, and stability toward PR hydrogenation.