Reduced ternary molybdenum and tungsten sulfides and hydroprocessing catalysis therewith

A catalyst comprising a substrate and chemical compounds deposited onto the substrate, wherein the chemical compounds comprise:

• M.sup.n+.sub.2x/n (L.sub.6 S.sub.8)S.sub.x
• where L is molybdenum or tungsten;
• M is selected from the group consisting of sodium, tin, cobalt, nickel, lead, lanthanum, and holmium;
• n is 1, 2, or 3;
• and x is from 1 to 1.5;
• and wherein the chemical compounds are amorphous.

A method for making an amorphous chemical composition having the formula:

• M.sup.n+.sub.2x/n (L.sub.6 S.sub.8)S.sub.x
• where L is molybdenum or tungsten;
• M is selected from the group consisting of sodium, tin, cobalt, nickel, lead, lanthanum, and holmium;
• n is 1, 2, or 3;
• and x is from 1 to 1.5, comprising the following steps:
• reacting L.sub.6 Cl.sub.12 and an alkali metal sulfide in a solvent to produce a first reaction product and an alkali metal chloride;
• filtering the first reaction product to separate the first reaction product from the solvent;
• extracting the first reaction product with a second solvent to remove the alkali metal chloride to form a second reaction product;
• reacting the second reaction product with a M metal salt to form a third reaction product;
• extracting the third reaction product with a solvent to remove metal salts and unreacted M metal salts to form a fourth reaction product;
• heating the fourth reaction product to form the amorphous chemical composition having the formula M.sup.n+.sub.2x/n (L.sub.6 S.sub.8)S.sub.x.

A hydrodesulfurization catalyst produced by the steps comprising:

• mixing Na.sub.2x (Mo.sub.6 S.sub.8)S.sub.x yR where R is selected from the group consisting of methanol, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran (THF), propionitrile, butanol, propanol, and amines and wherein n is 1, 2, or 3;
• x is from 0.5 to 1.5, and y is 4 to 5;
• a M metal salt where M is selected form the group consisting of sodium, tin, cobalt, nickel, lead, lanthanum, and holmium;
• and a solvent;
• reacting the mixture to produce a reaction product;
• separating the reaction product from the solvent extracting the reaction product;
• and drying the reaction product to produce amorphous M.sup.n+.sub.2x/n (Mo.sub.6 S.sub.8)S.sub.x yR.