Non-thermal plasma-activation has emerged as a promising, low-temperature alternative to conventional thermal-activation for applications in materials synthesis, heterogeneous catalysis, and other temperature-sensitive chemical processes. However, the compounding intricacy of observing the coupling of plasma-phase reactions with a reactive surface has largely prevented this emerging field from developing a deeper understanding of the surface mechanisms at play. Therefore, the development and subsequent widespread adoption of new instrumentation techniques capable of taking in situ/operando measurements of plasma-catalyst interactions are required to significantly advance the field. Although there are already several published designs that have yielded useful information about the mechanisms of plasma-surface coupling, none has successfully done so under realistic reactor conditions while maintaining accessibility through inexpensive construction materials that are commonly found in a plasma- and/or heterogeneous catalysis-focused research lab. Here, we present a practical design for a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma cell capable of interfacing with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, optical emission spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry to simultaneously analyze the solid-phase catalyst, the plasma-phase species, and the gas-phase products, respectively. Key design features include a temperature range of 300-673 K with control to within 10 K, operating pressures at atmospheric and below (10<sup>-1</sup>-10<sup>0</sup> atm), plasma power inputs up to 25 W, and non-invasive electrode placement for both in-plasma and post-plasma configurations. The capability of the cell was demonstrated using example systems chosen to reflect the breadth of possible applications in plasma-catalysis research. The results provide evidence of direct plasma-surface interactions and offer insight into the surface mechanisms taking place under realistic DBD plasma-reactor conditions.

Development and application of a practical transmission infrared cell for in situ/operando studies at the plasma-catalyst interface

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ACS Fall 2022

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