Nonthermal plasma abatement of trichloroethylene enhanced by photocatalysis

Abatement of trichloroethylene (TCE, 250 ppm in air) was studied in a novel nonthermal plasma (NTP) dielectric barrier discharge reactor with an inner electrode made of sintered metal fibers (SMF). The SMF electrodes modified with TiO2 and MnO2 were observed to be catalytically active. Their efficiency in TCE decomposition was compared with a Cu inner electrode. The SMF electrode modified with MnO2 and TiO2 catalyst effectively destroys TCE due to the synergy between plasma excitation of the TCE molecules and their catalytic oxidation. The latter process was observed to be further enhanced by photocatalysis since TiO2 absorbs the UV light produced by the NTP. These innovative TiO2-modified SMF electrodes were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confirming formation of titania anatase, whereas the emission spectrum of the plasma showed the presence of ultraviolet light.