Ammonia Synthesis via Atmospheric Plasma Catalysis: Zeolite 5A, a Case of Study

Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of ammonia via atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma discharge over zeolite SA. The presence of the zeolite in the DBD reactor promoted the formation of microdischarges and a change of the voltage-current characteristics of the reactor, leading to an enhanced catalytic performance. The perturbation of the zeolite surface electronic properties due to atmospheric plasma led to an enhanced reactive state at the zeolite surface which promoted the dissociation of nitrogen and the subsequent formation of ammonia. An energy yield of 15.5 g-NH3/kW h was observed at an equimolar N-2 to H-2 ratio in the presence of zeolite SA, which is at least 50 times higher than that obtained in the absence of the zeolite.