Splitting of hydrogen sulfide is achieved to produce value-added chemicals. Upon irradiation at 254 nm in the gas phase and in the absence of catalysts or photocatalysts at near room temperature, H2 S splits into stoichiometric amounts of H2 and S with a quantum efficiency close to 50 %. No influence of the presence of CH4 and CO2 (typical components in natural gas and biogas in which H2 S is an unwanted component) on the efficiency of overall H2 S splitting was observed. A mechanism for the H2 and S formation is proposed.
Keywords: hydrogen production; hydrogen sulfide; photochemistry; quantum yield; uv light.
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