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Hydrogen-driven enhancement of CO2 splitting in a non-thermal plasma reactor for sustainable carbon utilization

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Kui Zhang, Professor Anh Phan, Professor Adam HarveyORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

© 2026 The Authors.As the global carbon crisis worsens, we need the technology which can evolve from capturing carbon to efficiently using it. Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) systems under mild conditions, a type of non-thermal plasma (NTP) reactor, provide a promising electrified route to CO2 splitting. However, their large-scale application is curtailed due to their low energy efficiency and modest CO2 conversion. The study reveals that the radical-assisted dissociation channels are activated by the controlled addition of H2 (4–15 vol%) to CO2 feed. By intentionally adjusting discharge power (10–40 W) and residence time (6–26 s), our study revealed that H2 co-feeding helps in the formation of H⋅ and OH⋅. This, in turn reduces the activation barrier of CO2 cleavage and influences the distribution of vibrational excitation and electron energy. Energy efficiency has improved by around 38%. A rise in H2 concentration lowers total conversion of CO2 due to rise in radical recombination. Results of the BOLSIG+ simulation indicate that the values of the electron temperature and the reduced electric field (E/N) experience distinct shifts which help rationalize the dual behaviour of Hydrogen as a reaction enhancer and quencher. These results provide design principles for next-generation electrified reactors with optimized co-feeding and power-modulation strategies, establishing hydrogen-assisted plasma catalysis as a strategic path towards energy-efficient CO2 utilization.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Jasim FT, Abid MF, Gheni SA, Aziz KHH, Alwaasiti AA, Abdulrahman AA, Fattah IMR, Zhang K, Phan AN, Harvey AP

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Green Technologies and Sustainability

Year: 2026

Volume: 4

Issue: 2

Print publication date: 01/04/2026

Online publication date: 28/01/2026

Acceptance date: 26/01/2026

Date deposited: 16/02/2026

ISSN (electronic): 2949-7361

Publisher: KeAi Communications Co.

URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.grets.2026.100347

DOI: 10.1016/j.grets.2026.100347

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