BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have developed a new method to produce hydrogen from the industrial waste of sulfureted hydrogen, according to a recent study paper published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science.

The electrocatalytic decomposition of abundant and toxic sulfureted hydrogen from industrial byproducts is a promising energy conversion technology for hydrogen production as the environmental pollutants can be simultaneously removed, said the paper.

The researchers from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported a remarkable graphene-encapsulated metal catalyst for highly efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen production from sulfureted hydrogen. The paper said the optimized catalyst delivered almost twice the current density than that of the platinum-carbon catalyst.

The new hydrogen production method was demonstrated to have the potential for sustainable energy applications, it said.