Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy study of the reaction of zinc oxide with hydrogen sulfide

We report in situ sulfur K-edge XAS data which show that a small number of very reactive sites are involved in the reaction of zinc oxide with hydrogen sulfide. Such sites react before the majority of the bulk oxide and are capable of forming zinc sulfide rapidly even at ambient temperatures. In situ sulfur K-edge EXAFS also provides evidence for a long sulfur–zinc interaction at 2.71 Å during the formation of bulk islands of zinc sulfide on the oxide. Powder diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy on ex situ treated hydrogen sulfide absorbents confirm the formation of a twin phase material of crystalline zinc oxide and less crystalline zinc sulfide, both wurtzite polymorph, as suggested by EXAFS.