Plasma Electrification for Sustainable Production of Fuels and Chemicals

The conversion of inert molecules (e.g., CO₂, CH₄, and N₂) with strong chemical bonds into value-added fuels and chemicals has attracted significant interest. However, activating these molecules remains challenging due to their thermodynamic stability, which requires substantial energy input. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) has emerged as a promising electrification technology, enabling thermodynamically challenging chemical processes under mild conditions. Combining NTP with heterogeneous catalysis offers great potential for synergistic effects through plasma-catalyst interactions, improving conversion, product selectivity, yield, and overall energy efficiency. Moreover, plasma processes can be switched on and off instantly, providing exceptional flexibility for decentralised fuel and chemical production using intermittent renewable energy sources. This lecture will highlight recent advances in plasma electrification for the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals, with a particular focus on CH₄ activation, CO₂ conversion, and nitrogen fixation. Current challenges and future research opportunities for accelerating industrial implementation will also be discussed.