Plasma for Gas Conversion Group

Low temperature plasmas (non-equilibrium or thermal) for conversion of abundant molecules into value-added chemicals is an emerging technology that, due to its fast response time, is suitable for use with intermittent renewable sources. Our group focuses on the use of microwave plasmas to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) and/or methane (CH₄) into carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H₂) or their mixtures for syngas production. Microwave plasmas are also studied for hydrogen production by cracking of ammonia (NH₃), while dielectric barrier discharges are explored for NH₃ synthesis.

 

The Plasma for Gas conversion group investigates CO₂ microwave plasmas up to atmospheric pressure for the production of CO with focus on fundamental plasma processes. The important insights in the underlying conversion mechanisms gained by investigating non-equilibrium plasmas, where electron collisions determine the plasma chemistry, and thermal plasmas, characterized by temperature-driven processes, enable the design of advanced plasma reactors with improved efficiency.

Dielectric barrier discharges are used with the aim of investigating the synergetic effect between the plasma and catalytic surfaces placed in contact with it on the gas conversion in a wide pressure range. The rich environment of the plasma (e.g. electrons, photons, radicals, excited species) coupled with the material properties (e.g. dielectric constant, porosity, active sites) have the potential to open up alternative reaction pathways for the conversion of molecules.

These laboratory-scale plasmas reactors are investigated by a suite of diagnostics, such as Two-Photon Laser-Induced Fluorescence (TALIF), Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES), Mass Spectrometry (MS), Gas Chromatography (GC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and in-vacuo X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The experimental activities are supported by modelling efforts relying on fluid-electromagnetic simulations of microwave discharges.