TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Catalyst: The semiconductor catalyst is nickel oxide (NiO), iron oxide (Fe2O3), zinc oxide (ZnO), tungsten oxide (WO3), or titanium oxide (TiO2).Preferred Composition: The suspension contains greater than or equal to100 mg metal oxide catalyst/50 cm3 oxygenated hydrocarbon.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Components: The optically aligned mechanism is a third harmonic generator for providing light at 355 nm. The apparatus includes a beam diameter controller, a beam splitter, a mirror for directing the laser energy through the window and into the cell, an energy meter disposed behind the beam splitter, an inlet valve, a liquid sampling valve, a gas sampling valve.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Catalyst: The semiconductor catalyst is nickel oxide (NiO), iron oxide (Fe2O3), zinc oxide (ZnO), tungsten oxide (WO3), or titanium oxide (TiO2).Preferred Composition: The suspension contains greater than or equal to100 mg metal oxide catalyst/50 cm3 oxygenated hydrocarbon.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method may include providing a mass of oxygenated hydrocarbon (preferably methanol) and semiconductor catalyst. The suspension is maintained at 22degreesC. It is irradiated with laser radiation at 10-70degreesC for 30 minutes. The suspension may be irradiated with light having a wavelength of 355 nm at room temperature, and heated to 60degreesC. The suspension is irradiated with illumination of 150 mJ/pulse laser radiation at wavelength of 355 nm for greater than or equal to30 minutes. When suspension contains 500 mg WO3/50 ml methanol, it is irradiated with a high-power laser beam of 355 nm wavelength generated from a third harmonic of neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser with an energy per pulse of 50-300 mJ at 22degreesC. When the suspension contains 500 mg NiO2, Fe2O3, TiO2, or ZnO/50 ml methanol, it is irradiated with a high-power laser beam of 355 nm wavelength from a third harmonic of Nd:YAG laser with an energy per pulse of 150 mJ at room temperature. EXAMPLE - Methanol (50 ml) and NiO catalyst (500 mg) were placed in a reaction cell. The mixture was irradiated with 355-nm wavelength high-power laser beam generated from the third harmonic of Nd:YAG laser for 30 minutes. The laser energy per pulse was varied from 50 mJ to 300 mJ. The reaction products were characterized using a gas chromatographic system. The products contained hydrogen and methane. The process did not require extreme experimental conditions and worked well at room temperature. Hydrogen yield was 4.53 mole%.