Converting CO2 into Valuable Products using Non-thermal Plasmas

CO2 should be converted to useful products rather than simply being captured and stored. However, CO2 is a very inert molecule. However, non-thermal plasmas, at ambient temperatures and pressures, can be used to convert CO₂ to various other species in reactions that are not observed in conventional chemistry until 1000s of ^oC. This changes what is possible in CO2 chemistry, opening up the possibility of producing a variety of valuable chemicals from CO2.

This project will use a form of non-thermal plasma reactor, known as a dielectric barrier discharge (“DBD”) reactor, and appropriate catalysts to convert CO₂ into CO and O₂ and other products, including potential fuels, at low temperatures (<120 ^oC) and ambient pressure. Conversion to CO will effectively “activate” CO₂, as CO is reactive, whereas CO₂ is relatively unreactive. CO could then be reacted with H₂ to create a range of longer hydrocarbons, for example.

The overall aim of the research project is to prove the feasibility and improve the energy efficiency of these reactions.

To improve efficiency various catalysts will be evaluated. Catalysts typically lead to greater efficiency in this type of process, by reducing the power requirement, and improving selectivity.

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