Indirect electrocatalytic decomposition of hydrogen sulfide into hydrogen and sulfur using cobalt doped cadmium sulfide

While the conventional Claus process (partial oxidation of H2S) recovers sulfur, it fails to utilize the hydrogen resource in H2S. Electrocatalytic decomposition of H2S to produce high-purity H₂ (for refinery hydrogenation cycles) and sulfur offers significant circular economy benefits.

However, traditional direct electrocatalytic systems suffer from low efficiency, severe membrane fouling (due to sulfur deposition blocking ion-exchange membranes), and high catalyst costs, hindering the development of H2S decomposition technologies. To address these challenges, we developed an efficient indirect electrocatalytic H2S decomposition system using Co-doped CdS materials (Co-CdSm, Co:Cd ≈ 1-5:1-5) as the electrocatalyst.