A hydroprocessing catalyst or catalyst precursor has been developed. The catalyst is a transition metal molybdotungstate material or metal sulfides derived therefrom. The hydroprocessing using the transition metal molybdotungstate material may include hydrodenitrification, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodemetallation, hydrodesilication, hydrodearomatization, hydroisomerization, hydrotreating, hydrofining, and hydrocracking.

A template-assisted method for the synthesis of 2D nanosheets comprises growing a 2D material on the surface of a nanoparticle substrate that acts as a template for nanosheet growth. The 2D nanosheets may then be released from the template surface, e.g. via chemical intercalation and exfoliation, purified, and the templates may be reused.

A template-assisted method for the synthesis of 2D nanosheets comprises growing a 2D material on the surface of a nanoparticle substrate that acts as a template for nanosheet growth. The 2D nanosheets may then be released from the template surface, e.g. via chemical intercalation and exfoliation, purified, and the templates may be reused.

Photocatalysts for reduction of carbon dioxide and water are provided that can be tuned to produce certain reaction products, including hydrogen, alcohol, aldehyde, and/or hydrocarbon products. These photocatalysts can form artificial photosystems and can be incorporated into devices that reduce carbon dioxide and water for production of various fuels. Doped wide-bandgap semiconductor nanotubes are provided along with synthesis methods. A variety of optical, electronic and magnetic dopants (substitutional and interstitial, energetically shallow and deep) are incorporated into hollow nanotubes, ranging from a few dopants to heavily-doped semiconductors. The resulting wide-bandgap nanotubes, with desired electronic (p- or n-doped), optical (ultraviolet bandgap to infrared absorption in co-doped nanotubes), and magnetic (from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic) properties, can be used in photovoltaics, display technologies, photocatalysis, and spintronic applications.

Photocatalysts for reduction of carbon dioxide and water are provided that can be tuned to produce certain reaction products, including hydrogen, alcohol, aldehyde, and/or hydrocarbon products. These photocatalysts can form artificial photosystems and can be incorporated into devices that reduce carbon dioxide and water for production of various fuels. Doped wide-bandgap semiconductor nanotubes are provided along with synthesis methods. A variety of optical, electronic and magnetic dopants (substitutional and interstitial, energetically shallow and deep) are incorporated into hollow nanotubes, ranging from a few dopants to heavily-doped semiconductors. The resulting wide-bandgap nanotubes, with desired electronic (p- or n-doped), optical (ultraviolet bandgap to infrared absorption in co-doped nanotubes), and magnetic (from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic) properties, can be used in photovoltaics, display technologies, photocatalysis, and spintronic applications.

A method for oxidative desulfurization of liquid hydrocarbon fuels is disclosed. The method includes contacting a liquid fuel with a quantum dot hybrid catalyst including metal sulfide quantum dots intercalated over graphene oxide layers in a reactor vessel, heating the reactor vessel to a temperature between 25 C. and 200 C., and reducing sulfur content of the liquid fuel with a sulfur reduction amount of more than 95% wt. Reducing the sulfur content of the liquid fuel with the sulfur reduction amount of more than 95% wt. includes producing sulfone and sulfoxide compounds by oxidizing the liquid fuel with ozone gas in the presence of the quantum dot hybrid catalyst at the temperature between 25 C. and 200 C., and separating the sulfone and sulfoxide compounds from the liquid fuel by extracting the sulfone and sulfoxide with an extraction solvent.

A process for the refining of crude oil, comprising a separation unit of the crude oil, consisting of at least one atmospheric distillation unit for separating the various fractions, a unit for the conversion of the heavy fractions obtained, a unit for improving the quality of some of the fractions obtained by actions on the chemical composition of their constituents, and units for the removal of undesired components, characterized in that the heaviest fraction, the atmospheric distillation residue, is sent to the conversion unit comprising a hydroconversion reactor in slurry phase or of the ebullated bed type, into which hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and S is introduced in the presence of a suitable nanodispersed hydrogenation catalyst.

A catalyst for the dehydrogenation of alkanes to alkenes comprises a catalytically active material supported on a carrier, wherein the catalytically active material is a metallic sulfide (MeS) comprising Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo or W or any combination of two or more metals selected from Pb, Sn, Zn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo and W. The catalyst is regenerated in several steps. The dehydrogenation is carried out at a temperature between 450 and 650 C. and a pressure from 0.9 bar below ambient pressure to 5 bar above ambient pressure.

A catalyst for the dehydrogenation of alkanes to alkenes comprises a catalytically active material supported on a carrier, wherein the catalytically active material is a metallic sulfide (MeS) comprising Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo or W or any combination of two or more metals selected from Pb, Sn, Zn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo and W. The catalyst is regenerated in several steps. The dehydrogenation is carried out at a temperature between 450 and 650 C. and a pressure from 0.9 bar below ambient pressure to 5 bar above ambient pressure.

A nanostructure is provided that in one embodiment includes a cluster of cylindrical bodies. Each of the cylindrical bodies in the cluster are substantially aligned with one another so that their lengths are substantially parallel. The composition of the cylindrical bodies include tungsten (W) and sulfur (S), and each of the cylindrical bodies has a geometry with at least one dimension that is in the nanoscale. Each cluster of cylindrical bodies may have a width dimension ranging from 0.2 microns to 5.0 microns, and a length greater than 5.0 microns. In some embodiments, the cylindrical bodies are composed of tungsten disulfide (WS2). In another embodiment the nanolog is a particle comprised of external concentric disulfide layers which encloses internal disulfide folds and regions of oxide. Proportions between disulfide and oxide can be tailored by thermal treatment and/or extent of initial synthesis reaction.