The Use of Non-Equilibrium Plasmas for the Synthesis of Heterogeneous Catalysts

A review of published works in the field of catalyst synthesis and treatment with the use of non-equilibrium plasma techniques has been composed. Non-equilibrium plasmas, also called low temperature plasmas, are known for their high reactivity (high electron temperature), while keeping the overall gas temperature low. Non-equilibrium plasmas are often applied for dry surface modifications as an environment friendly alternative for solvent-based techniques. In the field of heterogeneous catalysis, non-equilibrium plasmas are most commonly used for the treatment of catalytically active surfaces. Such applications can result into highly dispersed catalysts with high activity and stability, such as photo-catalytically active titanium dioxide films. Moreover, (non-equilibrium) plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition can also be used for the synthesis of powder-like materials used in heterogeneous catalysis for a wide range of applications, for example, ultrafine Fe2O3. The research field is still emerging, but already proves to be very promising, as will be shown in the review.