Carbonyl
sulfide (molecular formula COS) is the most abundant organic
sulfur compound present in the atmosphere, and its removal to satisfy
the worldwide limitations on emissions of injurious substances is
one of the challenging issues in the desulfurization technologies
scenario. The hydrolysis of carbonyl sulfide can be addressed as a
new frontier in the removal of sulfur compounds. The interest toward
this process arose significantly in the past 20 years, mainly because
of the new regulations on harmful gases emissions and because of the
exploitation of fossil fuels with higher sulfur content. According
to the current literature, COS hydrolysis can be performed as low-temperature
and high-temperature processes, giving rise to the establishment of
different mechanisms and phenomena. Through a detailed analysis of
the recent advances in the field, low-temperature hydrolysis was identified
as the most promising alternative for the industrial scenario. To
overcome the kinetic limitations, the modification of alumina-based
catalysts having enhanced porous structures with electron-donating
substituents (such as alkaline and alkaline-earth metals) was found
particularly effective, since hydrolysis has been identified as a
base-catalyzed reaction. In addition, in this process, hydrotalcite
and hydrotalcite-like materials find a satisfactory application. Due
to the strongly limited kinetics, the adsorption of the components
of the reaction mixtures is controlling, and therefore, the most credited
reaction mechanism is described through a Langmuir–Hinshelwood
model. Despite the strong appeal of the process, industrial applications
still involve mainly high-temperature hydrolysis; indeed, most of
the recent patents report operating temperatures in the range of 100–300
°C.