Plasma catalysis is seen as a promising and emerging conversion technology that can be part of the solution in the transition to circular, carbon-neutral chemical production. Plasma catalysis is of particular interest in the conversion of relatively stable gases such as CO2 to basic chemical building blocks by the use of (renewable) electrical energy. In a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor, the electrical energy is mainly transferred to highly energetic, accelerated electrons producing a cocktail of activated species such as ions, radicals, and excited species. Nevertheless, although the alternative reaction paths of DBD plasma reactors show high potential in CO2 conversion, their current Achilles heel is the lack of product selectivity and limited energy efficiency. To solve this, packing materials and catalysts are being introduced in the plasma. Although it is well accepted that there is a mutual interaction of the materials on the plasma properties and vice versa, the underlying mechanisms and even more, the specific material properties influencing plasma conversion, selectivity, and energy efficiency are still largely unknown (A. Bogaerts et. al. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 53, 2020, 443001).
Therefore, this project’s objective is a systematic study, applying the know-how of the applicant and supervisor in controlled material synthesis to identify key material aspects in plasma catalytic studies. Moreover, secondments to VITO specialized in materials shaping technology, aim to explore the impact of material architecture on plasma catalysis. This will permit a systematic structure-activity correlation, identifying the impact of yet unrevealed material properties on the plasma characteristics and performance (conversion, selectivity and energy efficiency).
The project focuses on studying the impact of metal dispersion and metal support interactions of Cu, Fe, and Mg species on the plasma characteristics and plasma catalytic performance in dry reforming of methane as well as its stability and that of the packing material. Furthermore, based on the identified importance of packing and reactor configurations on plasma performance, the role of packing geometry on plasma catalysis is a particular aspect of this MSCA. In order to study the role of the architecture of the packing material on the plasma properties and performance, 3D printed packing materials have been developed and manufactured in collaboration with the CAST research team at VITO.
