Plasma-based CO2 conversion

On Thursday 18 March 2021, the RSC Belgium section of the Royal Society of Chemistry was treated to a fascinating talk from Professor Annemie Bogaerts of the University of Antwerp on plasma-based catalysis and processes. In this second of our online talks of 2021 Annemie described the work of her Research group PLASMANT and in particular 'Plasma-based CO2 conversion' - an area that is gaining increasing interest. 

CO2 conversion into value-added chemicals and fuels is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. However, due to the limitations of traditional thermal approaches, several novel technologies are being developed. One promising approach is plasma technology that has promises mild operating conditions, easy upscaling, and gas activation by energetic electrons instead of heat.

But what are the key advantages to using plasma technology over other novel approaches? Can plasma technology be successful on its own, or can synergies be achieved by combining it with other technologies? And what are the potentials and limitations of plasma technology in general? 

Annemie first provided a brief introduction to plasma science and catalysis in general: highlighting how plasma is formed and what are its major applications. Subsequently she focused on the application of CO2 conversion by plasma and plasma catalysis. Annemie gave an overview of the state-of-the-art in plasma-based CO2 (and CH4) conversion, describing the different types of plasma reactors used and discussing the differences (and potential benefits) compared to other emerging technologies for CO2 conversion.

In the last part of the talk she presented some of the results she and her group have obtained in Antwerp including experiments and modeling to obtain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms and to improve process performance and yield.

Annemie's talk was very well received and provoked a lively discussion!

You can watch the lecture again below or on our dedicated YouTube channel. 

Cheers to CO2

On the evening of Thursday 29 November RSC Belgium was delighted to welcome Dr César Alejandro Urbina Blanco from Ghent University to St. John’s International School in Waterloo to talk to us about some fascinating developments in the chemistry of using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a chemical feedstock. César is currently working as a Post Doctoral Researcher in the Laboratory for Chemical Technology at Ghent on sustainable chemistry and the utilisation of CO2.

César told the story of that little molecule responsible for the bubbles in your fizzy drink, which is also the main chemical culprit responsible for global warming and climate change. He described how CO2 is all around us, how we produce it directly or indirectly every time we switch on a lamp, buy a product or even breathe! Using fossil fuel for energy and as the main feedstock for the chemical industry has caused the release of unsustainable amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere.

So how do we solve the global CO2 problem without compromising our lifestyle? Chemistry, of course! César outlined the many ways in which chemists are now looking to turn CO2 back into valuable products from fuel to foam for mattresses.

Passionate

Cesar is a passionate chemist and has been identified as a future leader by the American Chemistry Society. He gave an impassioned speech at the Science March in Brussels last year. A native of Venezuela, César studied Chemistry in Universidad Simón Bolívar in Caracas including a final year project at The Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds in Florence, Italy under supervision of Prof. Maurizio Peruzzini.

He completed his PhD in Organometallic Chemistry and Catalysis at the University of St Andrews in Scotland where he worked on the development of commercial olefin metathesis catalysts under supervision of Prof. Steve Nolan – now also at Ghent. César then moved as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the field of Green Chemistry to RWTH Aachen University in Germany with Prof. Walter Leiner and Jürgen Klankermayer, before coming to Belgium.

Paper Industry shows how Innovation should be done!

Innovative Chemistry and the Paper Industry was the subject of the final RSC Belgium event of 2014 on 11 December at the Hotel Rastelli in Tervuren. Marco Mensink (pictured below), Managing Director of CEPI (the Confederation of European Paper Industries) presented the results of the CEPI “Two Team Project” competition: an initiative that has brought dynamic and innovative thinking into the sector with a potentially 'game changing' impact for European operations.

The Two Teams challenge looked to identify breakthrough technology concepts that could give the European paper industry the required dynamic for a successful sustainable future in Europe. Eight breakthrough concepts were identified including the use of deep eutectic solvents and supercritical CO2. Marco's talk provides fascinating insights into how fundamental principles of chemistry can help an industry face up to the challenges of the future and also how innovative thinking per se can make an impact.

Roadmap
In November 2011 CEPI launched the Forest Fibre Industry 2050 Roadmap, which looked at how the sector might reduce its fossil-based CO2 emissions by 80% while at the same time creating 50% more added value.

One of the key conclusions was that breakthrough technologies would be needed by 2030 to achieve these targets. So, in 2012, CEPI set up the “Two Team Project” to identify breakthrough technology concepts that would give the industry the required dynamic for a successful future in Europe.

The competition challenged two teams to be as creative and imaginative as possible while focusing on practical technologies and solutions that were appropriate for wide-scale use across the sector.

Eight concepts
The process resulted in eight candidate breakthrough technologies that could help to revolutionise the European paper and pulp industry with the overall winner being the use of Deep Eutectic Solvents that could open the way to the production of pulp at significantly lower temperature and atmospheric pressure resulting in major energy and emissions savings.

Marco was a very dynamic and entertaining speaker and gave a fascinating insight into how fundamental principles of chemistry can help an industry face up to the challenges of the next four decades.

You can find out more on all the eight final projects here.