Plasma Catalysis

Plasma catalysis is gaining increasing interest for various gas conversion applications, such as CO2 conversion into value-added chemicals and fuels, N2 fixation for the synthesis of NH3 or NOx, methane conversion into higher hydrocarbons or oxygenates. It is also widely used for air pollution control (e.g., VOC remediation). Plasma catalysis allows thermodynamically difficult reactions to proceed at ambient pressure and temperature, due to activation of the gas molecules by energetic electrons created in the plasma. However, plasma is very reactive but not selective, and thus a catalyst is needed to improve the selectivity. In spite of the growing interest in plasma catalysis, the underlying mechanisms of the (possible) synergy between plasma and catalyst are not yet fully understood. Indeed, plasma catalysis is quite complicated, as the plasma will affect the catalyst and vice versa. Moreover, due to the reactive plasma environment, the most suitable catalysts will probably be different from thermal catalysts. More research is needed to better understand the plasma–catalyst interactions, in order to further improve the applications.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the field of plasma catalysis, regarded as a promising alternative to thermal processes for energy and environmental applications. It bridges the gap between the plasma and catalysis research communities, covering both the fundamentals of plasma catalysis and its application in environmental and energy research. The first section of the book offers a broad introduction to plasma catalysis, covering plasma-catalyst systems, interactions, and modeling. The core of the book then focuses on different applications, describing a wide range of plasma-catalytic processes in catalyst synthesis, environmental clean-up, greenhouse gas conversion and synthesis of materials for energy applications. Chapters cover topics ranging from removal of NOx and VOCs to conversion of methane, carbon dioxide and the reforming of ethanol and methanol. Written by a group of world-leading researchers active in the field, the book forms a valuable resource for scientists, engineers and students with different research backgrounds including plasma physics, plasma chemistry, catalysis, energy, environmental engineering, electrical engineering and material engineering.

Filling the gap for a book that covers not only plasma in gases but also in liquids, this is all set to become the standard reference for this topic. It provides a broad-based overview of plasma-chemical and plasmacatalytic processes generated by electrical discharges in gases, liquids and gas/liquid environments in both fundamental and applied aspects by focusing on their environmental and green applications and also taking into account their practical and economic viability. With the topics addressed by an international group of major experts, this is a must-have for scientists, engineers, students and postdoctoral researchers specializing in this field.

Plasma catalysis has been a topic of research for many years due to its potential for applications in a wide range of chemical, environmental, and energy-related processes. Non-thermal plasma offers an unconventional way to initiate chemical reactions in gas and in liquid due to the energetic electrons generated in the plasma; however, it suffers from low selectivity. The coupling of plasma with catalysis can steer the reactions in the desired direction, thus ensuring improved selectivity towards the target products and reducing unwanted ones. Environmental applications of plasma catalysis have been focused on the removal of various air and water pollutants, while energy applications include hydrogen, syngas and ammonia production. This Special Issue demonstrates plasma catalysis as a solution to environmental problems caused by the greenhouses gases CO2 and CH4, which can be converted to value-added products and fuels, air pollution with stable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds, and water pollution with pharmaceutical products.

The UK Catalysis Hub is a consortium of universities working together on fundamental and applied research to find out how catalysts work and to improve their effectiveness. The contribution of catalysis to manufacturing contributes to almost 40% of global GDP, making development and innovation within the field integral to industry.Modern Developments in Catalysis, Volume 2 provides a review and update of current research and practice on catalysis. Topics range from the treatment of water using novel techniques for carbon neutrality, cutting-edge techniques using intense radiation including Operando Synchrotron Infrared Microspectroscopy to innovation in homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis and biocatalysis. Edited by leaders of the UK Hub, this book provides insight into one of the most important areas of modern chemistry — it represents a unique learning opportunity for students and professionals studying and working towards speeding up, improving and increasing the rate of catalytic reactions in science and industry.

Providing an integrated approach to the various aspects of catalysis, this textbook is ideal for graduate students from catalysis, engineering, and organic synthesis.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the most recent developments in both total oxidation and combustion and also in selective oxidation. For each topic, fundamental aspects are paralleled with industrial applications. The book covers oxidation catalysis, one of the major areas of industrial chemistry, outlining recent achievements, current challenges and future opportunities. One distinguishing feature of the book is the selection of arguments which are emblematic of current trends in the chemical industry, such as miniaturization, use of alternative, greener oxidants, and innovative systems for pollutant abatement. Topics outlined are described in terms of both catalyst and reaction chemistry, and also reactor and process technology.

The important advances achieved over the past years in all technological directions (industry, energy, and health) contributing to human well-being are unfortunately, in many cases, accompanied by a threat to the environment, with photochemical smog, stratospheric ozone depletion, acid rain, global warming, and finally climate change being the most well-known major issues. These are the results of a variety of pollutants emitted through these human activities. The indications show that we are already at a tipping point that might lead to non-linear and sudden environmental change on a global scale. Aiming to tackle these adverse effects in an attempt to mitigate any damage that has already occurred and to ensure that we are heading toward a cleaner (green) and sustainable future, scientists around the world are developing tools and techniques to understand, monitor, protect, and improve the environment. Emissions control catalysis is continuously advancing, providing novel, multifunctional, and optimally promoted using a variety of methods, nano-structured catalytic materials, and strategies (e.g., energy chemicals recycling, cyclic economy) that enable us to effectively control emissions, either of mobile or stationary sources, improving the quality of air (outdoor and indoor) and water and the energy economy. Representative cases include the abatement and/or recycling of CO2, CO, NOx, N2O, NH3, CH4, higher hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter, and specific industrial emissions (e.g., SOx, H2S, dioxins aromatics, and biogas). The “Emissions Control Catalysis” Special Issue has succeeded in collecting 22 high-quality contributions, included in this MDPI open access book, covering recent research progress in a variety of fields relevant to the above topics and/or applications, mainly on: (i) NOx catalytic reduction from cars (i.e., TWC) and industry (SCR) emissions; (ii) CO, CH4, and other hydrocarbons removal, and (iii) CO2 capture/recirculation combining emissions control with added-value chemicals production.