Non‐Thermal Plasmas for Sustainable Chemistry

The integration of renewable electricity with fossil resources, H₂O, Air, and CO₂ resources provides unprecedented opportunities to transform the fossil energy industry to low carbon chemical manufacturing by using distributed non-equilibrium plasma catalysis. Recent studies of plasma-assisted CH₄ and CO₂ reforming, hydrogen production, NO_x and ammonia synthesis (for among others fertilizer applications) have suggested that plasma can increase reactivity and plasma catalysis enables chemical selectivity. However, there are multiple scientific challenges in realizing this exciting potential of plasma (catalysis) due to the complexity of the excited and ionized states, non-equilibrium between photons, electrons, excited states, and neutral species, complex interaction and energy/mass transfer between different states and at heterogeneous interfaces, strong coupling between plasma chemistry and heterogeneous catalysis, complicated plasma catalysis mechanisms, and numerous unknown reaction pathways and elementary reaction rates. These challenges are further exacerbated by the large disparities in plasma and catalysis time and length scales as well as strong coupling between macroscopic and microscopic chemical and transport processes. Recent advances in quantum chemistry modeling, non-equilibrium energy materials and catalysts, laser diagnostics, plasma control, as well as the availability of data sciences create a great opportunity to advance the understanding of the chemistry underlying plasma (catalysis) and steer catalytic transformations in yield and selectively of low carbon chemical manufacturing.

In this seminar, world-leading experts in different research fields of plasma physics, chemistry, catalysis, quantum chemistry computation and laser diagnostics will discuss openly the challenges, opportunities, and collaborations in plasma-assisted sustainable chemistry with a focus on the following topics:

(1) Demand and technologies of energy storage technologies for a climate neutral world
(2) Non-equilibrium plasma dynamics and energy transfer
(3) Plasma-aided CO₂ hydrogenation and CO₂/methane reforming
(4) Plasma-aided NH₃ and NOx synthesis
(5) Quantum chemistry and multiscale modeling of plasma chemistry and plasma catalysis
(6) Plasma catalysis and biocatalysis for chemical production

This seminar will create an exciting platform to stimulate brainstorming discussions among the participants to discuss new ideas, inspiration, key challenges, and collaboration.

The conference language will be English. The Wilhelm and Else Heraeus-Foundation bears the cost of full-board accommodation for all participants.