Application of POMs-Based Sulfided Catalyst in Hydrodesulfurization and Hydrogen Evolution by Electrolysis of Water

Facing the challenge of severe environmental pollution caused by petroleum and the development of new energy, the desulfurization of petroleum fuels and sustainable clean alternative energy are regarded as important solutions. As a clean and sustainable energy carrier, hydrogen (H-2) is considered one of the most promising alternatives to carbon fuels. Therefore, hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and electrolysis of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are effective ways to solve the current energy and environmental problems caused by petroleum, and the development of high-efficiency and low-cost non-precious metal-based catalytic materials is a key step to achieve industrialization. Sulfided transition metals have high valence, unique crystal structure and thermal stability. Among them, MoS2 and WS2 are a type of band gap two-dimensional semiconductors with high planar carrier mobility and are used as non-noble metal sulfided catalysts representative material. It is worth noting that MoS2 and WS2 can realize HDS and HER processes at the same time. They not only serve as high-performance HDS catalysts to reduce the sulfur content of petroleum, but also shine in sustainable and clean green hydrogen production. Polyoxometalates (POMs), as a kind of inorganic nanoclusters with a clear structure composed of a variety of transition metals and oxygen atoms, are suitable precursors for preparing transition metal sulfided electrode materials. The sulfided catalyst can exhibit electrocatalytic performance close to that of noble metal-based catalysts, realizing green and efficient energy production and processing. Therefore, in recent years, sulfided catalysts prepared by POMs have become a research hotspot in green chemistry. This paper reviews the research progress of POMs-based sulfided catalysts in the HDS and HER fields, focusing on the working principles and interrelationships of the two types of processes. The catalytic mechanism, structural advantages and existing problems of POMs-based sulfided catalysts are summarized and discussed. Finally, some prospective of POMs-based sulfided catalysts for their application in those fields are proposed.