The systems based on granular mesoporous nanofibrous carbonaceous (NFC) materials synthesized by decomposition of hydrocarbons over nickel-containing catalysts are promising catalysts for selective oxidation of hydrogen sulfide. Sample series of nanofibrous carbon with three main types of their fiber structures and different contents of metal catalysts inherited from the catalysts for their synthesis were studied in this reaction. The correlation between NFC structure and its activity and selectivity in hydrogen sulfide oxidation was determined. The metal inherited from the initial catalysts for the synthesis of NFC influences the activity and selectivity of the resulting carbon catalysts. A particular influence is observed in the case of the catalyst withdrawn from the synthesis reactor at the stage of stationary operation of the metal catalyst (low specific carbon yields per unit weight of the catalyst). The presence of the metal phase results in an increase in the carbon catalyst activity and in a decrease in the selectivity to sulfur. NFC samples with the highest activity and selectivity are nanotubes and those with graphite planes perpendicular to the axis of the fibers. Carbon nanotubes have high selectivity, while samples obtained on copper-nickel catalysts also possess high activity. The promising NFC catalysts provide high conversion and selectivity (almost independent of the molar oxygen/hydrogen sulfide ratio) when a large excess of oxygen is contained in the reaction mixture. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.