Non-thermal Plasma Approach for Methane Partial Oxidation to Syngas and Value-Added Oxygenates Under Ambient Conditions

In recent years, partial oxidation of methane has attracted attention for its ability to convert cheap C1 source into fuels and high-value-added chemicals. In this study, a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor was developed to efficiently convert methane to syngas and liquid compounds under mild conditions through partial oxidation. On this basis, the effects of different input power and O2/CH4 ratio on the discharge characteristics and reaction performances were systematically evaluated. It was found that O2/CH4 ratio was the main factor affecting the distribution of products. The proper O2/CH4 ratio would significantly promote the H2 yield (15.9%) and CH3OH selectivity (12.2%). The possible mechanism in the plasma process for methane partial oxidation was deduced based on the analysis of discharge characteristics and reaction performance.