In-situ fabricated CuO nanowires/Cu foam as a monolithic catalyst for plasma-catalytic oxidation of toluene

Copper foam with in-situ grown CuO nanowires (CuO NW/Cu foam) was used as an effective monolithic catalyst for the plasma-catalytic oxidation of toluene to CO2. The fabricated CuO nanowires were single crystalline with a length of ~ 5-50 μm and diameter of ~ 50-400 nm. It was found that toluene conversion was obviously enhanced and byproducts were significantly decreased with the use of CuO NW/Cu foam as a monolithic catalyst due to synergistic effects developed between plasma and catalytic effect.