Plasma Catalysis—An Emerging Technology for Power-to-X

The activation of small, inert molecules with strong chemical bonds (e.g., CO₂, CH₄, and N₂) for the production of higher-value fuels and chemicals has attracted significant interest. However, the activation of these molecules remains a great challenge as they are thermodynamically stable and require a significant amount of energy for activation. Non-thermal plasmas (NTPs) offer an emerging and attractive alternative for the activation of strong chemical bonds under ambient conditions. The combination of NTP with heterogeneous catalysis has great potential to generate a synergistic effect from the interactions between the plasma and catalysts, which can activate catalysts at low temperatures and improve the activity and stability of the catalysts, resulting in the remarkable enhancement of conversion, selectivity, and yield of end-products, as well as the energy efficiency of the process. Moreover, plasma processes can be turned on and off instantly, providing great flexibility for decentralised chemical production and energy storage via Power-to-X using renewable energy, particularly intermittent renewable energy. In this presentation, we will show the potential of plasma-catalytic Power-to-X technologies for the synthesis of fuels and chemicals, including CH₄ activation, CO₂ conversion, and ammonia synthesis.