Chapter 21: CO₂ Splitting With Nanosecond Pulsed Discharge

In view of GHG emissions mitigation, efficient methods for CO₂ splitting are necessitated. Whilst conventional thermocatalytic processes are limited by thermodynamic equilibrium, and high temperatures are needed to efficiently dissociate the very stable CO₂ molecule, non-thermal plasma can efficiently promote CO₂ splitting via electron-impact reactions at mild operating conditions. Nanosecond pulsed discharge (NPD), a relatively new plasma technology, holds promises for CO₂ splitting applications since it operates beyond the thermodynamic equilibrium, maximizing the conversion of electrical energy into chemical and limiting the energy dissipation to heating. Recent advances in NPD-driven CO₂ splitting are discussed herein, related to cracking mechanisms, experiments, diagnostics and modelling.