ECLIPSE: Mechanistic Investigation of Molecular Level Plasma-Catalytic Methane Reactions on Model Surfaces

In this project, funded by the Chemical Mechanism, Function, and Properties Program of the Chemistry Division, Professors Thomas C. Underwood and Charles B. Mullins of The University of Texas at Austin are investigating the fundamental mechanisms by which non-thermal plasmas interact with heterogeneous catalysts to drive chemical reactions. The goal of this research is to develop a molecular-level understanding of plasma-catalysis, including how non-equilibrium plasmas change reaction pathways, influence selectivity, and enable new chemistries on model surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The broader impacts of this project include technological and environmental benefits. The project provides high-level training at the intersection of catalysis, plasma science, and surface chemistry, preparing students for careers in energy and advanced materials research. This project lies at the interface of surface science, catalysis, and plasma chemistry and is designed to explore the molecular level plasma-catalytic conversion of methane along oxidative and non-oxidative pathways. Experiments will provide precise control over plasma properties such as vibrational temperature, radical and ion populations, and kinetic energy, while tuning catalyst characteristics to study elementary reaction mechanisms. By isolating plasma-induced reaction pathways that are typically complicated by transport and collisional relaxation processes at ambient pressures, this research will generate fundamental knowledge about the interplay between plasma states and catalytic surfaces in driving chemical reactions. It will establish a framework for synergistic plasma-catalyst design, where non-thermal plasma excitations can be used strategically to change surface kinetics, enhance selectivity, and mitigate catalytic deactivation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.