Abstract
Splitting of hydrogen sulfide is achieved to produce value-added chemicals. Upon irradiation at 254nm in the gas phase and in the absence of catalysts or photocatalysts at near room temperature, H2S splits into stoichiometric amounts of H-2 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 H2S is an unwanted component) on the efficiency of overall H2S splitting was observed. A mechanism for the H-2 and S formation is proposed.