Low-Temperature Highly Efficient and Selective Removal of H₂S over Three-Dimensional Zn–Cu-Based Materials in an Anaerobic Environment

In this study, novel three-dimensional ribbon-like composite materials have been introduced for selectively capturing H₂S in a low-temperature dry anaerobic environment. First, a ribbon-like basic copper carbonate precursor with Zn doping supported on the activated semicoke (ASC) was successfully synthesized in situ by a two-step hydrothermal method for the first time. The porous Zn-Cu materials obtained after calcination were applied as a sorbent to remove H₂S under anaerobic conditions at a low temperature. Effects of the heat treatment temperature, Cu loading content, and Zn doping content on the anaerobic desulfurization performance of Zn-doped CuO<i>_x</i>/ASC sorbents were investigated. The optimal Zn-doped CuO<i>_x</i>/ASC sorbent showed a satisfactory activity and selectivity to capture H₂S efficiently with a breakthrough capacity of 126 mg/g. Further mechanism study demonstrates that the super desulfurization performance of this sorbent is mainly attributed to abundant pore distribution, the synergistic effect between copper and zinc, the extensive surface active oxygen, and so forth.