A7: Plasma catalysis for conversion of volatile organic compounds (VOC)

Principal Investigators: Martin Muhler, Ihor Korolov

Team

Muhler, Martin (Principal Investigator)

Korolov, Ihor (Principal Investigator)

Oppotsch, Timothy (PhD)

Hübner, Gerrit (PhD)

Hiepel, Jonas (PhD)

Lachnicht, Luisa (Master)

Makhynya , Sophie (Bachelor)

Awakowicz, Peter (Senior Professor)

Description

In this project, the plasma-assisted oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is being investigated. Catalytically active coatings, including two-component mixed metal oxides such as BaTiO3–MnO2/CuO, are employed to enhance plasma-induced VOC conversion. Extensive experiments in controlled N2/O2 atmospheres and with different excitation modes (voltage waveform tailoring), with special emphasis on plasma-induced gas flow dynamics, will identify the key reactive species for VOC degradation using techniques such as molecular beam mass spectrometry, laser-induced fluorescence and optical absorption spectroscopy.  

Publications

• A SDBD reactor for the removal of oxygen traces in hydrogen operated above atmospheric pressure: Experiment and Simulation
  Christian Oberste-Beulmann, Philipp Wirth, Soad Mohsenimehr, Timothy Oppotsch, Achim von Keudell, Peter Awakowicz, Martin Muhler
  Plasma Chemistry Plasma Processing 45 (5), 1415-1430 (2025)
  
• Overcoming Discharge Inhibition in n-Butane Oxidation: Two-Component BaTiO3 and Mn-Cu Mixed Oxide Coatings
  T. Oppotsch, A. Böddecker, C. Oberste-Beulmann, G. Hübner, I. Korolov, P. Awakowicz, M. Muhler
  Plasma Processes and Polymers (2025)
  
• Influence of gas flow rate on modes of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in a grid-type surface dielectric barrier discharge
  A. N. Torres Segura, K. Ikuse, S. Hamaguchi, A. R. Gibson, L. Schücke
  J. Appl. Phys. 137, 203306 (2025)
  Repository: https://rdpcidat.rub.de/node/1159
• Streamer propagation dynamics in a nanosecond pulsed surface dielectric barrier discharge in He/N₂ mixtures
  G. Hübner, S. Wilczek, N. Schöneweihs, D. Filla, T. Mussenbrock, I. Korolov
  J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 58 065201 (2025)
  Repository: https://rdpcidat.rub.de/node/1054
• The role of flow field dynamics in enhancing volatile organic compound conversion in a surface dielectric barrier discharge system
  A. Böddecker, M. Passmann, A. N. Torres Segura, A. Bodnar, F. Awakowicz, T. Oppotsch, M. Muhler, P. Awakowicz, A. R. Gibson, I. Korolov, T. Mussenbrock
  J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 58, 025208 (2025)
  Repository: https://rdpcidat.rub.de/node/1080
• The effects of different pellet shapes on streamer dynamics in patterned dielectric barrier discharges
  B. Berger, Z. Mujahid, C. Neuroth, M. Azhar, L. Wang, Q. Z. Zhang, T. Mussenbrock, I. Korolov, J. Schulze
  Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 33, 125011 (2024)
  
• Chemical modification of selenium-containing amino acids caused by non-thermal dielectric-barrier discharge atmospheric-pressure plasma
  F. Afzal, D. Śmiłowicz, F. Kogelheide, A. L. Schöne, K. Stapelmann, P. Awakowicz, N. Metzler-Nolte
  RSC Adv. 14, 38094-38104 (2024)
  
• Interactions Between Flow Fields Induced by Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge Arrays
  A. Böddecker, M. Passmann, S. Wilczek, L. Schücke, I. Korolov, R. Skoda, T. Mussenbrock, A. R. Gibson, P. Awakowicz
  Plasma Chem. Plasma Process. 43, 1509-1530 (2023)
  Repository: https://rdpcidat.rub.de/node/743
• The effect of toluene trace admixtures on the plasma-assisted oxygen trace removal from hydrogen-rich gas mixtures in a surface dielectric barrier discharge reactor
  C. Oberste-Beulmann, T. Oppotsch, M. Muhler
  Plasma Process. Polym. 20, e2300084 (2023)
  
• Investigation of flow characteristics in a twin-surface dielectric barrier discharge reactor by Schlieren imaging
  K. Ollegott, P. Wirth, C. Oberste-Beulmann, G. Siddarth Mani Sakthi, A. Magazova, P. Hermanns, N. Peters, L. Schücke, V. Bracht, D. W. Agar, P. Awakowicz, M. Muhler
  J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 56, 265201 (2023)
  
• The effects of catalyst conductivity and loading of dielectric surface structures on plasma dynamics in patterned dielectric barrier discharges
  C. Neuroth, Z. Mujahid, B. Berger, C. Oberste-Beulmann, T. Oppotsch, Q.-Z. Zhang, M. Muhler, T. Mussenbrock, I. Korolov, J. Schulze
  Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 32, 105019 (2023)
  Repository: https://rdpcidat.rub.de/node/739
• Propagation dynamics and interaction of multiple streamers at and above adjacent dielectric pellets in a packed bed plasma reactor
  Z. Mujahid, I. Korolov, Y. Liu, T. Mussenbrock, J. Schulze
  J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 55, 495201 (2022)
  
• μs and ns twin surface dielectric barrier discharges operated in air: from electrode erosion to plasma characteristics
  T. Nguyen-Smith, A. Böddecker, L. Schücke, N. Bibinov, I. Korolov, Q.-Z. Zhang, T. Mussenbrock, P. Awakowicz, J. Schulze
  Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 31, 035008 (2022)
  
• A scalable twin surface dielectric barrier discharge system for pollution remediation at high gas flow rates
  A. Böddecker, A. Bodnar, L. Schücke, J. Giesekus, K. Wenselau, R. T. Nguyen-Smith, T. Oppotsch, C. Oberste-Beulmann, M. Muhler, A. R. Gibson, P. Awakowicz
  React. Chem. Eng. 7, 2348-2358 (2022)
  
• Optical absorption spectroscopy of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in a surface dielectric barrier discharge
  L. Schücke, A. Bodnar, N. Friedrichs, A. Böddecker, N. Peters, K. Ollegott, C. Oberste-Beulmann, P. Wirth, R. T. Nguyen-Smith, I. Korolov, A. R. Gibson, M. Muhler, P. Awakowicz
  J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 55, 215205 (2022)
  
• Catalyst‐enhanced plasma oxidation of n‐butane over α‐MnO₂ in a temperature‐controlled twin surface dielectric barrier discharge reactor
  N. Peters, L. Schücke, K. Ollegott, C. Oberste-Beulmann, P. Awakowicz, M. Muhler
  Plasma Process. Polym. 18, e2000127 (2021)
  Repository: https://rdpcidat.rub.de/node/321
• Characterisation of volume and surface dielectric barrier discharges in N2-O2 mixtures using optical emission spectroscopy
  F. Kogelheide, B. Offerhaus, N. Bibinov, P. Krajinski, L. Schücke, J. Schulze, K. Stapelmann, P. Awakowicz
  Plasma Process. Polym. 17, 1900126 (2020)
  
• The role of humidity and UV-C emission in the inactivation of B. subtilis spores during atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge treatment
  F. Kogelheide, F. Voigt, B. Hillebrand, R. Moeller, F. Fuchs, A. R. Gibson, P. Awakowicz, K. Stapelmann, M. Fiebrandt
  J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 53 295201 (2020)
  
• Conversion of volatile organic compounds in a twin surface dielectric barrier discharge
  L. Schücke, J. Gembus, N. Peters, F. Kogelheide, R.T. Smith, A. Gibson, J. Schulze, M. Muhler, P. Awakowicz
  Plasma Sources Sci.Technol. 29, 114003 (2020)
  
• Catalytic oxidation of small organic molecules by cold plasma in solution in the presence of molecular iron complexes
  D. Śmiłowicz, F. Kogelheide, A. L. Schöne, K. Stapelmann, P. Awakowicz, N. Metzler-Nolte
  Sci. Rep. 10, 21652 (2020)
  Repository: https://rdpcidat.rub.de/node/295
• Catalytic Carbon Monoxide Oxidation over Potassium-Dopen Manganese Dioxide Nanoparticles Synthesized by Spray Drying
  K. Ollegott, N. Peters, H. Antoni, M. Muhler
  Emiss. Control Sci. Technol. 5, 378-391 (2019)
  
• Study on Chemical Modifications of Glutathione by Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (Cap) Operated in Air in the Presence of Fe(II) and Fe(III) Complexes
  D. Śmiłowicz, F. Kogelheide, K. Stapelmann, P. Awakowicz, N. Metzler-Nolte
  Sci. Rep. 9, 1-13 (2019)
  
• Dissipated electrical power and electron density in an RF atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet
  J. Golda, F. Kogelheide, P. Awakowicz, V. Schulz-von der Gathen
  Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 28, 095023 (2019)
  
• Characterization of volume and surface dielectric barrier discharges in N₂/O₂ mixtures using optical emission spectroscopy
  F. Kogelheide, B. Offerhaus, N. Bibinov, P. Krajinski, L. Schücke, J. Schulze, K. Stapelmann, P. Awakowicz
  Plasma Process. Polym. 17, e1900126 (2019)
  

Thesis

• Lars Schücke, PhD thesis - 07/2022
  Analysis of Reaction Kinetics in a Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge for the Conversion of Volatile Organic Compounds
• Niklas Peters, PhD thesis - 09/2021
  MnO₂-assisted dielectric barrier discharge-driven plasma oxidation for the abatement of n-butane
• Christian Oberste-Beulmann, Bachelor thesis - 07/2018
  Entwicklung einer Methode zur Beschichtung von Plattenelektroden mit heterogenen Katalysatoren für die oxidative Plasmakatalyse
• Kevin Ollegott, PhD thesis - 01/2020
  Plasma-assisted removal of oxygen traces from coke oven gas using a twin-surface dielectric barrier discharge
• Philipp Wirth, PhD thesis - 12/2025
  Plasma Catalysis in DBDs
• Jens Kallähn, Bachelor thesis - 01/2020
  Entwurf einer Messstrecke zur optischen Absorptionsspektroskopie von Ozon an einer dielektrischen Oberflächenentladung
• Jan-Luca Gembus, Bachelor thesis - 09/2019
  Untersuchung der Konversion von flüchtigen Kohlenwasserstoffen in einer dielektrischen Oberflächenentladung
• Christian Oberste-Beulmann, Master thesis - 12/2020
  Investigations on Plasma-catalytic Removal of Oxygen Traces from Hydrogen-rich Gas Mixtures
• Katja Wenselau, Bachelor thesis - 12/2021
  Untersuchung des Strömungsfeldes einer beidseitigen dielektrisch behinderten Oberflächenentladung für die Abluftreinigung
• Anna Lena Schöne, Master thesis - 03/2022
  Gas Flow Effects in Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharges
• Timothy Oppotsch, PhD thesis - 12/2025
  sDBD for VOC removal
• Arisa Bodnar, Bachelor thesis - 01/2022
  Investigation of a twin surface dielectric barrier discharge for the decomposition of polluted air streams
• Amr Ghanoum, Bachelor thesis - 03/2022
  Reduktion des Sauerstoffgehaltes abgeschiedener Gasseparations-Membranen unter Verwendung von Hexamethyldisilazan als Präkursor eines PE-CVD Prozesses
• Dominik Filla, Bachelor thesis - 10/2022
  Untersuchung der Homogenität einer Mikrowellen-PE-CVD Entladung
• Maximilian Ryppa, Bachelor thesis - 03/2023
  Investigation of reactive species densities in a twin surface dielectric barrier discharge with absorption spectroscopy
• Alexander Böddecker, PhD thesis - 02/2025
  Plasma catalysis for conversion of volatile organic compounds (VOC)
• Tim Bolles, Master thesis - 04/2024
  Modeling and Simulation of Technological Plasmas with External Circuits
• Christian Oberste-Beulmann, PhD thesis - 07/2023
  Plasma-catalytic Removal of Oxygen Traces from Hydrogen-rich Gas Mixtures
• Jonas Hiepel, PhD thesis - 12/2025
  Modification and Characterization of Semiconductor Materials Using Non-Thermal Plasma Sources
• Timothy Oppotsch, Master thesis - 01/2022
  Investigations on plasma-catalytic exhaust gas treatment
• Fedor Aksenov, Master thesis - 12/2025
  Plasma-Assisted VOC Oxidation: Mechanisms and Scale-up
• Jonas Hiepel, Bachelor thesis - 08/2022
  Validierung eines Verdampfersystems und Sprühbeschichters für die Verwendung in plasma-katalytischen Messungen
• Nils Huber, Bachelor thesis - 07/2025
  Plasma catalysis for conversion of volatile organic compounds (VOC)

Further reading

• Oxygen-Plasma-Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes as Supports for Platinum-Ruthenium Catalysts Applied in Electrochemical Methanol Oxidation
  R. Chetty, K. K. Maniam, W. Schuhmann, M. Muhler
  ChemPlusChem 80, 130-135 (2015)

Project presentation video