Sulfidation

Sulfidation (British spelling also sulphidation) is a process of installing sulfide ions in a material or molecule. The process is widely used to convert oxides to sulfides but is also related to corrosion and surface modification. Sulfidation (British spelling also sulphidation) is a process of installing sulfide ions in a material or molecule. The process is widely used to convert oxides to sulfides but is also related to corrosion and surface modification. Sulfidation is relevant to the formation of sulfide minerals. A large scale application of sulfidation is the conversion of molybdenum oxides to the corresponding sulfides. This conversion is a step in the preparation of catalysts for hydrodesulfurization wherein alumina impregnated with molybdate salts are converted to molybdenum disulfide by the action of hydrogen sulfide. In organosulfur chemistry, sulfiding is often called thiation. The preparation of thioamides from amides involves thiation. A typical reagent is phosphorus pentasulfide (P4S10). The idealized equation for this conversion is: