Plasma-based gas conversion
Upcycling emissions into valuable materials with lightning
Rising greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes, in combination with deforestation, have disrupted Earth’s natural balance, driving global warming and ocean acidification. We develop technological solutions that transform these harmful gasses into useful products for a circular economy. Our approach is inspired by lightning, which is scientifically known as plasma — a state of matter similar to gas but with unique properties.
Unlike conventional approaches that focus only on decarbonization, our research tackles the climate – energy nexus: simultaneously reducing emissions by electrifying industrial processes and converting pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4) into valuable raw materials. For example, by splitting these molecules into their elemental building blocks, we unlock carbon (C) and hydrogen (H), which can be repurposed for carbon-neutral materials, e-fuels, and sustainable products essential for modern society.
Through lightning-inspired innovation, we aim to make harmful emissions not a waste to be buried, but a resource for sustainable development. By transforming greenhouse gasses into the raw material of the future, we are turning the biggest climate challenge into an opportunity.
VISION
Decarbonizing our home planet for future generations.
MISSION
Harnessing the full potential of plasma technology to provide innovative and sustainable solutions to the world’s most pressing energy and environmental challenges.
To accomplish this synergy of tackling climate change, enabling sustainable development, and shaping a clean energy future, we take a multipronged approach. Our efforts build on a diverse set of pillars, including scientific research; education and mentoring; innovation; and governmental, industrial, and academic partnerships.
To maximize its national and global impact, our goal aligns with Switzerland’s commitment to become emission neutral by 2050 as well as multiple United Nation (UN) Sunstainable Development Goals.
Development of industrially compatible processes for electrified gas processing using non-equilibrium plasma technology
Our aim is to decarbonize energy-intensive industrial processes by utilizing earth-abundant gases such as CO₂, CH₄, N₂, O₂, and H₂O as basic building blocks for the sustainable production of value-added molecules and materials. Plasma processing is an ideal Power-to-X (P2X) technology for this purpose, directly converting renewable and intermittent electricity into sustainable products. We have established an integrated experimental and numerical platform to explore how pressure and temperature influence plasma-driven reactions. Our innovative approach leverages plasma as a clean activation source that efficiently transfers electrical energy into electrons and gas heating to drive targeted conversions. In addition to beneficial electron-impact reactions in the plasma, the gas temperature is controlled as a parameter to enhance conversion efficiency and scalability, positioning plasma-based gas conversion as a competitive and sustainable alternative for industrial applications.
Our research projects cover various aspects of plasma-based gas conversion by integrating physics, chemistry, and engineering through experiments, simulations, and theory. As such, we provide answers to both fundamental questions and how to scale this novel technology for industrial applications.
Our scientific focus lies on applications in areas related to CO₂ conversion, artificial photosynthesis, methane pyrolysis, hydrogen production, plasma-assisted combustion, hydrogen-carriers, single-step gas-to-liquid processes, fertilizer production through nitrogen fixation, etc.
FEATURED PROJECTS
- As part of Empa's Mining the Atmosphere Initiative, the project PLasma Applications for Sustainably Mining the Atmosphere (PLASMA) focuses on establishing a platform to study the fundamentals of plasma-based CO2 conversion and CH4 pyrolysis through a combination of experiments and plasma-chemical kinetic simulations.
- Building on the PLASMA project, the project Upcycling CO2 aims to develop a method that converts the two most abundant greenhouse gases, CO2 and CH4, into valuable carbonaceous materials. This project is funded by the Stiftung Climatoor, Dimitris N. Chorafas Stiftung, and the Gebauer Stiftung.
- Through the SNF SCIEX program with Sofia University, a better insight is gained into the processes affecting the gas temperature in plasma reactors operating at elevated temperatures by utilizing multidimensional fluid simulations.
RESEARCH FACILITIES
Within the Plasma & Coating Group, a dedicated lab with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plasma-based gas conversion is set up, comprising of Inductively Coupled Plasmas (ICP) and solid state Microwave (MW) plasmas ranging from reduced pressures (< 100 mbar) to high pressures (> 1 atm), and from low powers (a few W) to high powers (> 1 kW).
Alongside access to all joint facilities of the ETH Domain, our dedicated analytical equipment for effluent gas monitoring includes gas chromatography (Interscience Flash RGA CompactGC4.0), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (Bruker INVENIO-R FTIR with gas cell), and in-situ diagnostics such as optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and mass spectrometry (RGA QMS).
The Plasma & Coating Group comprises world-leading scientists and highly skilled engineers specialized in plasma technology applications, making it the key plasma chemistry laboratory in Switzerland. With expertise in reactor design, plasma-based gas conversion for energy and environmental applications, and plasma reaction modelling, our interdisciplinary team is poised to drive innovation in plasma-based gas conversion technologies.
As part of a leading plasma hub in Switzerland, we continuously support scientific endeavors around the globe to tackle the main challenges in the field. Please reach out if you wish to discuss a potential collaboration.
