Patent ID: 8449861

Claim:
A process comprising the step of: generating hydrogen and oxygen photochemically or thermochemically from water by contacting water with at least one catalytically acting Si-containing compound selected from the group consisting of metallosilicides and non-metallic silicides of the formula RSi x O y , wherein R represents an organic, metallic, organometallic, biochemically derived or inorganic residue, and Si being silicon with X>zero and O is oxygen with Y≧zero, wherein R is lithium, beryllium, sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, zinc, rhodium, scandium, rubidium, gallium, selenium, rhodium, palladium, cadmium, lead, osmium, antimony, iridium, tungsten, tin, strontium, barium, titanium, nickel, iron, thallium, boron, cobalt, platinum, manganese, titanium, iridium, molybdenum, nitrogen, zirconium, tantalum, vanadium, chromium, silver, gold, lanthanides, actinides, organic residues or biochemically derived residues or mixtures of said residues R and wherein said residue is partially oxidized or fully oxidized or not oxidized.