Abstract: The surficial characters and charge effects of the modified K2CO3/MoS2 catalysts with different Ni content were investigated by XRD, BET, XPS. The results suggested that two types of Ni-contained species were formed in Ni/K2CO3/MoS2 catalysts, namely, pure phases of NiSx and Ni-Mo-S mixed phase. With lower Ni loading (nNi/nMo＜1/3), the main Ni species was Ni-Mo-S and Ni content on the surface was lower than that of the bulk. With the increasing of Ni content, the coordination between Ni and MoS2 became saturation and NiSx phases were formed gradually. The formation of NiSx phases resulted in the enrichment of Ni on the surface as well as S and K and a favorable chemical environment for the formation of alcohols but not hydrocarbons. As a donor promoter, the Ni-Mo-S structures corresponded to a strong electron transition between Ni and Mo, however, the electron effect between NiSx and MoS2 was weaker. The regularly decline of electron interaction between Ni and Mo with the increasing of Ni content indicated that the saturation of coordination betweenNi and MoS2 and the formation of NiSx phase.

Key words: Higher alcohols synthesis, Alkali-doped molybdenum sulfide catalysts, Modification, Nickel