Plasma-coupled electrochemical ammonia synthesis

Our expertise at FORTH/ICEHT includes:

1. Electrocatalysis & Electrochemical Engineering

   • Catalyst Synthesis & Screening: The development of advanced, high-selectivity electrocatalysts engineered for targeted applications, including Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs), Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, and Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyzers.

   • Interfacial & Operational Electrochemistry: Liquid and solid-state electrochemistry, covering everything from the building of advanced experimental setups and half/full-cell assembly to the complete electrochemical evaluation of performance, degradation mechanisms, and interfacial phenomena.

   • The group can provide specialization in driving the highly selective reduction of plasma-generated intermediates (NO_x) into green ammonia_ while suppressing the competing Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER).

   2. Cold Plasma Technology & Interfacial Chemistry

   • Plasma Reactor Design & Diagnostics: Multi-configuration development of non-thermal plasma (NTP) systems, including gas-liquid Dielectric Barrier Discharge DBD, corona, and plasma bubbling architectures—supported by full electrical and optical plasma characterization.

   • Physicochemical Intermediate Optimization: Comprehensive tracking, species detection, and optimization of reactive chemical profiles within plasma-activated water (PAW) (e.g., maximizing nitrate and nitrite generation rates from ambient air).

   • Plasma-Catalysis Synergy: Surface modification, activation, and engineering of materials and catalysts using nanosecond pulsed cold plasma techniques to induce favorable vibrational states and structural defects.

   • The group can deliver the crucial upstream phase of the system and leverage non-thermal atmospheric plasma to break the rigid dinitrogen bond efficiently, generating high-yield NOx intermediates tailored for seamless integration with downstream electrochemical cells.