(544bu) Applications of Microwave Plasma Catalysis

Non-thermal
plasma based reactor systems have revolutionized many
fields such as dry reforming, chemical synthesis, biomass gasification, and waste
treatment technology. The low power consumptions, low pressure options, and easy
elimination of unwanted by-products make plasma technology popular among
researchers and engineers alike. Plasma based reactions are more efficient with
the use of catalysts, which lowers the activation energy needed. This study brings together works on non-thermal
plasma-assisted catalytic reactions. Plasma can be generated by various
methods; this paper focuses on strictly microwave plasma. Microwaves allow for
the selective delivery of electromagnetic energy to the active sites on the
catalyst surface. This selectivity can lower the bulk temperature, which
results in higher product yields and favors lower equilibrium temperatures. A
thorough categorization and comparison of microwave plasma-assisted catalytic
reactions are presented here with highlights on future contribution to this
field. The applications can be broadly classified into methane utilization,
carbon dioxide reformations, and chemical synthesis while highlighting the
advancements in the past decade. As well as a further summary of the
mechanistic studies involved the microwave plasma-assisted catalytic reactions.