Leon Lefferts and Kevin Rouwenhorst (Catalytic Processes and Materials, CPM) have recently published an article in EES Catalysis, for the themed collection Understanding and new approaches to create synergy betweeen catalysis and plasma together with Joran van Turnhout and Annemie Bogaerts (PLASMANT, University of Antwerp)
Plasma catalysis is gaining increasing interest for the synthesis of chemicals and fuels, but the underlying mechanisms are still far from understood. This hampers plasma–catalyst synergy. Indeed, there is not enough insight into the optimal catalyst material tailored to the plasma environment, and vice versa, in the optimal plasma conditions for the catalyst needs. Furthermore, plasma catalysis suffers from energy losses via backward reactions, and probably most importantly, there is a clear need for improved plasma reactor design with better contact between plasma and catalyst. In this paper, these critical limitations and suggest possible solutions are described. In addition, they stress the importance of correct measurements and consistent reporting, and finally they also propose other promising plasma–material combinations beyond the strict definition of catalysts. The hope is this opinion paper can help to make progress in this booming research field.
You can read the article in full here: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5EY00027K
