Effective CO2 Decomposition in a Nonthermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet System Coupled with CuO Catalysts

• Published in: Advanced energy and sustainability research Vol. 6; no. 7
• Main Authors: Kuo, Hsuan‐Hung, Liu, Chan‐Yu, Wei, Yu‐Chen, Weng, Chih‐Chiang, Chang, Kao‐Der, Hsu, Yung‐Jung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley-VCH 01.07.2025
• Subjects: CO2 decompositions; CuO; nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma jets; plasma–catalysts
• ISSN: 2699-9412; 2699-9412
• DOI: 10.1002/aesr.202400409

Plasma‐assisted CO2 decomposition is a promising strategy for mitigating CO2 emissions. This study integrates a nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet (NTAPPJ) system with CuO catalysts to enhance CO2 conversion, selectivity, and energy efficiency through synergistic plasma–catalyst interactions. Optimization of discharge power and CO2 flow rate reveals that higher power increases CO output but reduces energy efficiency, while elevated flow rates improve CO yield but decrease conversion rates. Optimal conditions (100 W, 10 sccm CO2 flow rate) yield 37.98% conversion and 0.73% energy efficiency, with stable performance over 8 h. Experiments isolating photocatalytic and thermal catalytic contributions identify oxygen vacancies in CuO as active sites facilitating CO2 adsorption and activation. These findings establish NTAPPJ‐CuO systems as an innovative approach to plasma–catalyst CO2 decomposition, offering new insights into plasma–catalysis mechanism. The plasma–catalyst system facilitates both homogeneous (plasma‐only) and heterogeneous (plasma–catalyst) CO2 decomposition. Initially, CO2 molecules are dissociated by plasma‐generated energetic species, while long‐lived reactive species further interact with the plasma‐activated CuO catalyst to enhance CO2 decomposition. This synergistic interaction between plasma and catalyst improves both CO2 conversion and energy efficiency.