Work

Non-Thermal Plasmas Activated Lattice Oxygen for Methane Partial Oxidation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Ceria (CeO 2 ) is a classic oxygen storage catalyst widely used in energy, environmental and chemical fields. However, the activation of ceria typically requires elevated temperatures, largely due to the slow kinetics of lattice oxygen migration from the bulk to the surface at low temperatures. Non-Thermal Plasmas (NTPs) offer a viable strategy to mitigate the thermodynamic and kinetic limitations associated with traditional thermal catalysis. Herein, we investigated the impact of the plasma field on reaction kinetics and lattice oxygen evolution of ceria in a methane partial oxidation process with a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma catalytic system. The results indicate that the NTPs exhibit a "Dual-Path Effect" via simultaneously facilitating C-H bond dissociation of methane (reducing activation energy by 52.1% to 35.69 kJ·mol -1 ) and activating lattice oxygen via creating abundant oxygen vacancies in ceria. The NTPs lower the onset temperature of lattice oxygen release by 75°C and triples the bulk-to-surface migration rate of lattice oxygen. Consequently, methane conversion at 750°C is enhanced 6-fold compared to the thermal catalysis alone. This work provides an insight into developing thermochemical processes under mild conditions via NTPs intensification.

Source: Green Energy and Resources

DOI: 10.1016/j.gerr.2026.100205