Plasma Catalysis for Environmental Pollution Remediation

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 2157

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental pollution demands advanced remediation technologies. Plasma catalysis, a synergistic combination of non-thermal plasma (NTP) and heterogeneous catalysis, has emerged as a powerful and versatile solution for eliminating recalcitrant air and water pollutants. While NTP generates reactive species at ambient conditions, its integration with catalysts unlocks a powerful synergy, enhancing degradation efficiency, energy yield, and product selectivity beyond the capability of either process alone.

This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest advancements in plasma catalysis for environmental applications. We welcome original research and reviews addressing fundamental mechanisms, novel catalyst design (e.g., metal oxides, zeolites, and MOFs), reactor innovation, process modeling, and the abatement of specific pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), NOx, and greenhouse gases. It will serve as a platform to drive innovation in this dynamic field, paving the way for more efficient and sustainable environmental technologies.

Dr. He Guo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • non-thermal plasma
  • plasma catalysis
  • catalyst design
  • environmental remediation
  • advanced oxidation processes

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 1754 KB  
Article
Enhanced Degradation of Acid Black 1 Dye Using Sequential Nano-Ferrate(VI) and Gliding Arc Plasma: Synergistic Performance and Mechanism
by Seong Yeop Han, Bimo Tri Goutomo, Dian Majid and Il-Kyu Kim
Catalysts 2026, 16(5), 438; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16050438 - 8 May 2026
Viewed by 183
Abstract
Acid Black 1 (AB1), a recalcitrant disazo dye from the textile industry, poses a severe threat to aquatic ecosystems owing to its resistance to biological treatment. Although ferrate(VI) (K2FeO4) and plasma-based advanced oxidation processes have shown promise for dye [...] Read more.
Acid Black 1 (AB1), a recalcitrant disazo dye from the textile industry, poses a severe threat to aquatic ecosystems owing to its resistance to biological treatment. Although ferrate(VI) (K2FeO4) and plasma-based advanced oxidation processes have shown promise for dye remediation, the effect of treatment sequence on synergistic mineralization remains largely unaddressed. Nano-ferrate(VI) (nano-Fe(VI), K2FeO4) synthesized via the Solution Plasma Process (SPP) was integrated with Gliding Arc Plasma (GAP) in a sequential hybrid system, with nanoscale morphology and K2FeO4 composition confirmed by FE-SEM and EDS. pH, molar ratio, and temperature were systematically optimized for the standalone nano-Fe(VI) process, and synergistic performance was evaluated via Synergy Effect Factor (SEF) analysis. Optimization identified pH 7.0, [AB1]:[Fe(VI)] = 1:0.9, and 45 °C as optimal, achieving 90.24% decolorization within 12 min. The sequential nano-Fe(VI)–GAP configuration achieved the highest mineralization efficiency of 58.7%, outperforming standalone nano-Fe(VI) (36.0%), standalone GAP (16.0%), and simultaneous application (37.8%), with SEF values of 1.3 and 1.2 for mineralization and decolorization. This is the first study to quantify treatment sequence effects in a nano-Fe(VI)–GAP system via SEF analysis. The proposed system eliminates intermediate pH adjustment while achieving superior mineralization, offering a practical AOP framework for refractory textile wastewater treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Catalysis for Environmental Pollution Remediation)

Review

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27 pages, 5528 KB  
Review
Plasma-Activated Homogeneous Catalysis for Water Decontamination: Mechanisms, Synergies, and Future Perspectives
by Liangrui Xiang, Shuang Yang and He Guo
Catalysts 2025, 15(12), 1138; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15121138 - 4 Dec 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1686
Abstract
The pervasive contamination of water bodies by refractory organic pollutants necessitates the development of advanced purification technologies. Plasma has emerged as a promising solution, capable of generating a broad spectrum of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), UV photons, and electrons in situ, [...] Read more.
The pervasive contamination of water bodies by refractory organic pollutants necessitates the development of advanced purification technologies. Plasma has emerged as a promising solution, capable of generating a broad spectrum of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), UV photons, and electrons in situ, thereby directly degrading contaminants. However, the practical application of plasma-alone systems is often constrained by limited energy efficiency and insufficient mineralization capacity. To overcome these challenges, the integration of plasma with homogeneous advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) has been established as a highly effective strategy. By coupling plasma with catalysts such as peroxymonosulfate (PMS), peracetic acid (PAA), periodate (PI), and Fenton reagents (Fe2+/Fe3+), a remarkable synergistic effect is achieved. This synergy arises from the multi-modal activation of catalysts by plasma via energetic electrons, UV photolysis, and radical-induced reactions, while the catalysts, in turn, consume long-lived plasma products and regulate reaction pathways. The resultant ‘plasma/catalytic’ system significantly enhances the degradation rate and mineralization efficiency of pollutants, broadens the operational pH window, and improves overall energy utilization. This review systematically examines the mechanisms, performance, and influencing factors of these hybrid systems, and discusses current challenges and future prospects to guide the development of this synergistic technology for sustainable water remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Catalysis for Environmental Pollution Remediation)
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