Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) could generate non-thermal plasma (NTP) with the advantage of fast reactivity and high energy under atmosphere pressure and low-temperature. The presented work investigated the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitric oxide (NO) using a combination of NTP and an Mn-Cu/ZSM5 catalyst with ammonia (NH₃) as a reductant. The experimental results illustrate that the plasma-assisted SCR process enhances the low-temperature catalytic performance of the Mn-Cu/ZSM5 catalyst significantly, and it exhibits an obvious improvement in the NO removal efficiency. The reaction temperature is maintained at 200 °C in order to simulate the exhaust temperature of diesel engine, and the 10% Mn-8% Cu/ZSM5 catalyst shows the highest NO removal performance with about 93.89% at an energy density of 500 J L⁻¹ and the selectivity to N₂ is almost 99%. The voltage, frequency and energy density have a positive correlation to NO removal efficiency, which is positively correlated with the power of NTP system. In contrast, the O₂ concentration has a negative correlation to the NO removal, and the NO removal efficiency cannot be improved when the NO removal process reaches reaction equilibrium in the NTP system. Full article

Plasma catalysis has recently gained traction as an alternative to ammonia synthesis. The current research is mostly fundamental and little attention has been given to the technical and economic feasibility of plasma-catalytic ammonia synthesis. In this study, the feasibility of plasma-catalytic ammonia is assessed for small-scale ammonia synthesis. A brief summary of the state of the art of plasma catalysis is provided as well as a targets and potential avenues for improvement in the conversion to ammonia, ammonia separation and a higher energy efficiency. A best-case scenario is provided for plasma-catalytic ammonia synthesis and this is compared to the Haber-Bosch ammonia process operated with a synthesis loop. An ammonia outlet concentration of at least 1.0 mol. % is required to limit the recycle size and to allow for efficient product separation. From the analysis, it follows that plasma-catalytic ammonia synthesis cannot compete with the conventional process even in the best-case scenario. Plasma catalysis potentially has a fast response to intermittent renewable electricity, although low pressure absorbent-enhanced Haber-Bosch processes are also expected to have fast responses to load variations. Low-temperature thermochemical ammonia synthesis is expected to be a more feasible alternative to intermittent decentralized ammonia synthesis than plasma-catalytic ammonia synthesis due to its superior energy efficiency. Full article

The aim of this work was the optimization of the performance of the cold plasma technology coupled with a structured catalyst for the discoloration and mineralization of “acid orange 7” (AO7) azo dye. The structured catalyst consists of Fe₂O₃ immobilized on glass spheres, and it was prepared by the “dip coating” method and characterized by different chemico-physical techniques. The experiments were carried out in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor. Thanks to the presence of the catalytic packed material, the complete discoloration and mineralization of the dye was achieved with voltage equal to 12 kV, lower than those generally used with this technology (approximately 20–40 kV). The best result in terms of discoloration and mineralization (80% after only 5 min both for discoloration and mineralization) was obtained with 0.25 wt% of Fe₂O₃ immobilized on the glass spheres, without formation of reaction by-products, as shown by the HPLC analysis. The optimized catalyst was reused for several reuse cycles without any substantial decrease of performances. Moreover, tests with radical scavengers evidenced that the most responsible oxidizing species for the degradation of AO7 dye was O2^•−. Full article

Developing a novel ammonia synthesis process from N₂ and H₂ is of interest to the catalysis and hydrogen research communities. γ-Alumina-supported nickel was determined capable of serving as an efficient catalyst for ammonia synthesis using nonthermal plasma under atmospheric pressure without heating. The catalytic activity was almost unrelated to the crystal structure and the surface area of the alumina carrier. The activity of Ni/Al₂O₃ was quantitatively compared with that of Fe/Al₂O₃ and Ru/Al₂O₃, which contained active metals for the conventional Haber–Bosch process. The activity sequence was Ni/Al₂O₃ > Al₂O₃ > Fe/Al₂O₃ > no additive > Ru/Al₂O₃, surprisingly indicating that the loading of Fe and Ru decreased the activity of Al₂O₃. The catalytic activity of Ni/Al₂O₃ was dependent on the amount of loaded Ni, the calcination temperature, and the reaction time. XRD, visual, and XPS observations of the catalysts before the plasma reaction indicated the generation of NiO and NiAl₂O₄ on Al₂O₃, the latter of which was generated upon high-temperature calcination. The NiO species was readily reduced to Ni metal in the plasma reaction, whereas the NiAl₂O₄ species was difficult to reduce. The catalytic behavior could be attributed to the production of fine Ni metal particles that served as active sites. The P_N2/P_H2 ratio dependence and rate constants of formation and decomposition of ammonia were finally determined for 5.0 wt% Ni/Al₂O₃ calcined at 773 K. The ammonia yield was 6.3% at an applied voltage of 6.0 kV, a residence time of reactant gases of 0.12 min, and P_H2/P_N2 = 1. Full article

Herein, a novel process of diesel exhaust purification by non-thermal plasma combined with wood fiber has been investigated to understand the effect of purification efficiency on the emission. The dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and wood fiber (WF) improved removal efficiency of nitrogen oxide (NO_x) owing to the positive activity of oxygen-containing functional groups (such as O–H groups or C–O groups) on the wood surface, which promoted the removal of NO_x by 10%–13%. The mechanism to remove NO_x in the presence of wood fibers was also deduced through FTIR spectra. When carbon black was loaded on the wood fiber, there was simultaneous removal of carbon soot and NO_X. Although complete purification was not achieved, a high purification efficiency was obtained under the conditions of room temperature and no catalysts. These advantages highlight the importance of use of wood and non-thermal plasma (NTP), and this research work opens new avenues in the field of emissions treatment. Full article

In order to make full use of the heat in nonthermal plasma systems and decrease the generation of by-products, a reverse-flow nonthermal plasma reactor coupled with catalyst was used for the abatement of toluene. In this study, the toluene degradation performance of different reactors was compared under the same conditions. The mechanism of toluene abatement by nonthermal plasma coupled with catalyst was explored, combined with the generation of ozone (O₃), NO₂, and organic by-products during the reaction process. It was found that a long reverse cycle time of the reactor and a short residence time of toluene decreased the internal reactor temperature, which was not beneficial for the degradation of toluene. Compared with the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor, toluene degradation efficiency in the double dielectric barrier discharge (DDBD) reactor was improved at the same discharge energy level, but the concentrations of NO₂ and O₃ in the effluent were relatively high; this was improved after the introduction of a catalyst. In the reverse-flow nonthermal plasma reactor coupled with catalyst, the CO₂ selectivity was the highest, while the selectivity and amount of NO₂ was the lowest and aromatics, acids, and ketones were the main gaseous organic by-products in the effluent. The reverse-flow DBD-catalyst reactor was successful in decreasing organic by-products, while the types of organic by-products in the DDBD reactor were much more than those in the DBD reactor. Full article

Simultaneous generation of plasma by microwave irradiation of perovskite or the spinel type of silica supported porous catalyst oxides and their reduction by nitrogen in the presence of oxygen is demonstrated. As a result of plasma generation in air, NO_x generation is accompanied by the development of highly heterogeneous regions in terms of chemical and morphological variations within the catalyst. Regions of almost completely reduced catalyst are dispersed within the catalyst oxide, across micron-scale domains. The quantification of the catalyst heterogeneity and evaluation of catalyst structure are studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and XRD. Plasma generating supported spinel catalysts are synthesized using the technique developed by the author (Catalysts; 2016; 6; 80) and BaTiO₃ is used to exemplify perovskites. Silica supported catalyst systems are represented as M/Si = X (single catalysts) or as M(₁)/M(₂)/Si = X/Y/Z (binary catalysts) where M; M(₁) M(₂) = Cr; Mn; Fe; Co; Cu and X, Y, Z are the molar ratio of the catalysts and SiO₂ support. Composite porous catalysts are synthesized using a mixture of Co and BaTiO₃. In all the catalysts, structural heterogeneity manifests itself through defects, phase separation and increased porosity resulting in the creation of the high activity sites. The chemical heterogeneity results in reduced and oxidized domains and in very large changes in catalyst/support ratio. High electrical potential activity within BaTiO₃ particles is observed through the formation of electrical treeing. Plasma generation starts as soon as the supported catalyst is synthesized. Two conditions for plasma generation are observed: Metal/Silica molar ratio should be > 1/2 and the resulting oxide should be spinel type; represented as M_aO_b (a = 3; b = 4 for single catalyst). Composite catalysts are represented as {M/Si = X}/BaTiO₃ and obtained from the catalyst/silica precursor fluid with BaTiO₃ particles which undergo fragmentation during microwave irradiation. Further irradiation causes plasma generation, NO_x formation and lattice oxygen depletion. Partially reduced spinels are represented as M_aO_b–c. These reactions occur through a chemical looping process in micron-scale domains on the porous catalyst surface. Therefore; it is possible to scale-up this process to obtain NO_x from M_aO_b for nitric acid production and H₂ generation from M_aO_b–c by catalyst re-oxidized by water. Re-oxidation by CO₂ delivers CO as fuel. These findings explain the mechanism of conversion of combustion gases (CO₂ + N₂) to CO and NO_x via a chemical looping process. Mechanism of catalyst generation is proposed and the resulting structural inhomogeneity is characterized. Plasma generating catalysts also represent a new form of Radar Absorbing Material (RAM) for stealth and protection from radiation in which electromagnetic energy is dissipated by plasma generation and catalytic reactions. These catalytic RAMs can be expected to be more efficient in frequency independent microwave absorption. Full article

The adsorption and plasma-catalytic oxidation of dilute ethylene were performed in a pin-type corona discharge-coupled Pd/ZSM-5 catalyst. The catalyst has an adsorption capacity of 320.6 ${\mathsf{\mu }\mathrm{mol}\mathrm{g}}_{\mathrm{cat}}^{-1}$ . The catalyst was found to have two different active sites activated at around 340 and 470 °C for ethylene oxidation. The removal of ethylene in the plasma catalyst was carried out by cyclic operation consisting of repetitive steps: (1) adsorption (60 min) followed by (2) plasma-catalytic oxidation (30 min). For the purpose of comparison, the removal of ethylene in the continuous plasma-catalytic oxidation mode was also examined. The ethylene adsorption performance of the catalyst was improved by the cyclic plasma-catalytic oxidation. With at least 80% of C₂H₄ in the feed being adsorbed, the cyclic plasma-catalytic oxidation was carried out for the total adsorption time of 8 h, whereas it occurred within 2 h of early adsorption in the case of catalyst alone. There was a slight decrease in catalyst adsorption capability with an increased number of adsorption cycles due to the incomplete release of CO₂ during the plasma-catalytic oxidation step. However, the decreased rate of adsorption capacity was negligible, which is less than one percent per cycle. Since the activation temperature of all active sites of Pd/ZSM-5 for ethylene oxidation is 470 °C, the specific input energy requirement by heating the feed gas in order to activate the catalyst is estimated to be 544 J/L. This value is higher than that of the continuous plasma-catalytic oxidation (450 J/L) for at least 86% ethylene conversion. Interestingly, the cyclic adsorption and plasma-catalytic oxidation of ethylene is not only a low-temperature oxidation process but also reduces energy consumption. Specifically, the input energy requirement was 225 J/L, which is half that of the continuous plasma-catalytic oxidation; however, the adsorption efficiency and conversion rate were maintained. To summarize, cyclic plasma treatment is an effective ethylene removal technique in terms of low-temperature oxidation and energy consumption. Full article

The surface and volume discharge enhancement phenomena and streamer propagation direction control in catalytic pores are significant for the plasma catalytic degradation of pollutants. In this work, we use a two-dimensional particle-in-cell with Monte Carlo collisions model to explore the effect of lateral voltage on streamer enhancement and streamer propagation control for different driving voltages in pores of various shapes, sizes, and numbers. The driving voltage is applied to the top of the device, while the lateral voltages are applied at the left and right sides of the device. The surface and volume discharge enhancement phenomena become more significant and streamer propagation is more restricted within a narrow channel as the lateral voltage (with the same values on the left and right sides) increases from −5 kV to −30 kV for a fixed driving voltage of −20 kV. In this case, both the volume and surface discharges are intensive, leading to highly concentrated plasma species in a narrow channel. Moreover, the streamer propagates in a straight direction, from top to the bottom plate, with the lateral voltage added on both sides. The streamer propagation, however, deviates from the center and is directed to the right side when the lateral voltage is applied to the left. Our calculations also indicate that increasing the number or size of the pores enhances both the volume and surface discharges. Full article

Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is a pharmacologically active compound. In this study, ASA was decomposed effectively using a plasma in liquid phase process with hydrogen peroxide and TiO₂ photocatalyst. Increasing the electrical power conditions (frequency, applied voltage, and pulse width) promoted plasma generation, which increased the rate of ASA decomposition. The added hydrogen peroxide increased the rate of ASA degradation, but injecting an excess decreased the degradation rate due to a scavenger effect. Although there was an initial increase in the decomposition efficiency by the addition of TiO₂ powder, the addition of an excessive amount inhibited the generation of plasma and decreased the degradation rate. The simultaneous addition of H₂O₂ and TiO₂ powder resulted in the highest degradation efficiency. We suggest that ASA is converted to salicylic acid through demethylation by hydroxyl radicals and is finally mineralized to carbon dioxide and water via 2,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid and low molecular acids. Full article

Non-thermal plasma is one of the most promising technologies used for the degradation of hazardous pollutants in wastewater. Recent studies evidenced that various operating parameters influence the yield of the Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP)-based processes. In particular, the presence of a catalyst, suitably placed in the NTP reactor, induces a significant increase in process performance with respect to NTP alone. For this purpose, several researchers have studied the ability of NTP coupled to catalysts for the removal of different kind of pollutants in aqueous solution. It is clear that it is still complicated to define an optimal condition that can be suitable for all types of contaminants as well as for the various types of catalysts used in this context. However, it was highlighted that the operational parameters play a fundamental role. However, it is often difficult to understand the effect that plasma can induce on the catalyst and on the production of the oxidizing species most responsible for the degradation of contaminants. For this reason, the aim of this review is to summarize catalytic formulations coupled with non-thermal plasma technology for water pollutants removal. In particular, the reactor configuration to be adopted when NTP was coupled with a catalyst was presented, as well as the position of the catalyst in the reactor and the role of the main oxidizing species. Furthermore, in this review, a comparison in terms of degradation and mineralization efficiency was made for the different cases studied. Full article