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Plasma Catalytic Synthesis of Ammonia Using Functionalized-Carbon Coatings in an Atmospheric-Pressure Non-equilibrium Discharge

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Abstract

We investigate the synthesis of ammonia in a non-equilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasma using functionalized-nanodiamond and diamond-like-carbon coatings on α-Al2O3 spheres as catalysts. Oxygenated nanodiamonds were found to increase the production yield of ammonia, while hydrogenated nanodiamonds decreased the yield. Neither type of nanodiamond affected the plasma properties significantly. Using diffuse-reflectance FT-IR and XPS, the role of different functional groups on the catalyst surface was investigated. Evidence is presented that the carbonyl group is associated with an efficient surface adsorption and desorption of hydrogen in ammonia synthesis on the surface of the nanodiamonds, and an increased production of ammonia. Conformal diamond-like-carbon coatings, deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition, led to a plasma with a higher electron density, and increased the production of ammonia.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the help and useful advice from Drs. Avi Bendavid, Jawad Haidar, Shailesh Kumar and Gerard de Groot of CSIRO and Drs Errol Atkinson and Erik Thorvaldson of the Australian Government’s National Measurement Institute. Aspects of this research made use of software developed by the Inversion Laboratory (Ilab). Ilab is a part of the Auscope AGOS project—an initiative of the Australian Government funded through the Education Investment Fund. This research was partially funded by Australian Research Council Discovery Project (DP140100571).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Manufacturing, Lindfield, NSW, 2070, Australia

    Jungmi Hong, Dong Han Seo, Samuel Yick & Anthony B. Murphy

  2. School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Jungmi Hong, Morteza Aramesh & Steven Prawer

  3. School of Chemistry, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia

    Morteza Aramesh

  4. School of Physics and Advanced Materials, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia

    Olga Shimoni

  5. Space Plasma, Power and Propulsion Laboratory, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

    Amelia Greig & Christine Charles

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  1. Jungmi Hong
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Correspondence to Anthony B. Murphy.

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Hong, J., Aramesh, M., Shimoni, O. et al. Plasma Catalytic Synthesis of Ammonia Using Functionalized-Carbon Coatings in an Atmospheric-Pressure Non-equilibrium Discharge. Plasma Chem Plasma Process 36, 917–940 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-016-9711-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-016-9711-8

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