Remarkable catalysis of a wool-like copper electrode for NH₃ synthesis from N₂ and H₂ in non-thermal atmospheric plasma

Abstract

A wool-like copper electrode used to produce non-thermal plasma functioned as an efficient catalyst for ammonia production from N and H under atmospheric pressure without heating. The catalytic activity increased as the experiments were repeated. The yield of ammonia at H/N = 3 was 3.5%. The intensity of the emission spectra of N*(C-B) bands was correlated with the ammonia synthesis rate.

Recent Progress of Plasma-Assisted Nitrogen Fixation Research: A Review

“…This conclusion is in line with many previously reported researches [110][111][112][113][114]. On the other hand, other studies have shown that a higher N 2 /H 2 is favoured for the ammonia production [107,112,[115][116][117][118][119]. A plausible explanation for this difference was given by Peng et al [120], who believes that the average electron density and temperature is higher in a high hydrogen content environment with less intensive discharges (low voltage and frequency), promoting the formation of NH radicals, hence resulting in high ammonia productions.…”

Alternative Strategies Toward Sustainable Ammonia Synthesis

“…Ru catalyst with CNT support outperformed the others, where cesium acted as a promoter, and Molecular Sieve 13X and Amberlyst 15 served as microporous absorbents [168]. Iwamoto and colleagues [169] designed a wool-like copper electrode, which was found to be an effective catalyst for NH 3 synthesis, using nonthermal atmospheric-pressure plasma by glow discharge. The energy efficiency of NH 3 production reached 3.5% with an NH 3 production rate of 3.3 g NH 3 /kWh.…”

Sustainable Non‐Thermal Plasma‐Assisted Nitrogen Fixation—Synergistic Catalysis

“…[76][77][78] In addition to exploring the effects of the above-mentionedc atalysts, the authors also discussed the mechanisms of the fundamentaln onthermalp lasma-assisted ammonia synthesis based on ap roposal by Carrasco et al, [79] who stated that the plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis under vacuum occurs mainly through the ER and Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) mechanisms (they described the interactions between surface-adsorbed and gasphase speciesa nd the interactions betweent wo surface-adsorbed species, respectively). [77] Iwamoto et al [80] and Aihara et al [81] also compared the catalytic activities of different single-metal catalysts (Fe, Cu, Pd, Ag, etc.) [77] Iwamoto et al [80] and Aihara et al [81] also compared the catalytic activities of different single-metal catalysts (Fe, Cu, Pd, Ag, etc.)…”

“…[67,79] Based on this, Shah further demonstrated that the electron temperature is the main factor controlling N 2 dissociation in the gas phase. [77] Iwamoto et al [80] and Aihara et al [81] also compared the catalytic activities of different single-metal catalysts (Fe, Cu, Pd, Ag, etc.) under atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge conditions.…”