CO₂ Conversion to Fuels and Value-Added Chemicals by the Integration of Non-Thermal Plasma Catalysis and Process Intensification

Carbon dioxide is one of the principal greenhouse gases responsible for climate change. Human activities, such as the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil) for energy and transportation, certain industrial processes and land use change, are responsible for the CO₂ increase in the atmosphere. In addition to causing an increase in the global mean temperature, CO₂ emission also constitutes an extensive waste of a natural carbon source. The conversion of CO₂ to fuels and other high value useful products has been the subject of intensive study over the past decades. The intrinsic inert nature of CO₂ makes it difficult to be considered as a useful feedstock. Thermodynamic analysis shows that apparent CO₂ decomposition cannot be expected when the reaction temperature is lower than 3350K (CO₂ =CO + 0.5 O2, ΔG = 0 at 3350K).

Non-thermal plasma (or non-equilibrium plasma) technology provides an attractive alternative to the conventional thermal or catalytic route for the conversion of CO₂ to fuels and value added chemicals at atmospheric pressure and low temperatures. The integration of plasma, solid catalysts and process intensification has the potential to generate a synergistic effect, which can increase CO₂ conversion, improve the product selectivity to minimize unwanted by-products, and enhance the energy efficiency of CO2 conversion in a sustainable way.

The objective of this project is to investigate CO₂ conversion to fuels and value-added chemicals in an energy efficient and sustainable way by the integration of non-thermal plasma catalysis and process intensification.

For more information, please contact Prof Adam Harvey or Dr Kui Zhang.