Efficient production of hydrogen from H2S via electrolysis using a CoFeS2 catalyst

Abstract

Transformation of noxious and undesirable industrial waste H₂S into hydrogen (H₂) via electrolysis will be a game-changing strategy. Herein, we have developed a cost-effective and highly stable nanorod embedded wheat grain CoFeS₂ in conjugation with a nitrogen containing carbon framework for pure H₂ production from H₂S by reduction at the cathode and the sulfide oxidation reaction (SOR) at the anode. The proposed catalyst exhibits the lowest onset potential of 0.23 V vs. RHE to drive H₂S electrolysis which is 1.0 V lower than the thermodynamic potential of electrochemical water splitting (1.23 V). Moreover, it demonstrates 97.8% H₂ faradaic efficiency with remarkable durability up to 120 h. These outcomes demonstrate a promising future prospective of H₂S as a cost-effective H₂ source towards a more sustainable economy simultaneously eliminating the environmental pollutant.