Plasma-assisted catalysis total oxidation of trichloroethylene over gold nano-particles embedded in SBA-15 catalysts

The oxidative decomposition of trichloroethylene (TCE) in dry air was investigated in non-thermal plasma at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, both in the absence and in the presence of gold containing mesoporous silica (GMS) catalysts. In the absence of catalyst, TCE removal reached 100% for average powers dissipated in the plasma above 3 W, for a TCE concentration of 430 ppmv. Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide were the major reaction products with CO2 selectivity up to 25% and CO selectivity up to 70%. In the presence of gold containing mesoporous catalysts, the concentrations of CO and CO2 increased as compared to those obtained with plasma alone. The GMS catalysts can dissociate ozone produced in plasma to oxygen radicals that decompose TCE. Among these catalysts, the one containing the least amount of Au (0.5% GMS) showed the best catalytic performance. In the presence of ozone generated in the plasma, isolated gold cations might play a critical role for the catalytic behavior.