Nanocatalysis for detoxification technologies.

Transition metal based nanomaterials have been used in concurrence with Atmospheric Pressure Non Equilibrium Plasma (APNEP) generated using microwaves to detoxify volatile organic compound (VOC) polluted gas streams. Sol-gel synthesized titania nanostructured surfaces using reverse micelles alone or with further surface modification on alumina and cordierite substrate geometries, have been developed. By the construction of a pilot reactor which contains the heterogeneous catalyst after the plasma generation chamber, it was shown that the nanostructured titania greatly enhanced the destruction of the model VOC compounds (Toluene and 1,2 dichlorobenzene) as opposed to the plasma stream alone. Experiments presented show the effect of microwave power, gas stream composition (N2, N2/O2 and N2/H2O) and temperature on the effectiveness of the catalyst. These experimental variables cause a change in the Fermi electron (e-) and electron hole density (h+) of the nanostructured material, therefore, causing enhanced redox VOC destruction to occur on the surface of the nanoparticles. It was observed that the catalyst is greatly enhanced at low microwave plasma power by doping the surface of the nanoparticles with noble metals at low concentrations by chemical vapour deposition (CVD). These results demonstrate that APNEP microwave technology performance is greatly enhanced with the use of nanostructured heterogeneous catalysis for detoxification of VOC polluted gas streams.

Embedded layer of Ag nanoparticles prepared by a combined PECVD/PVD process producing SiOxCy-Ag nanocomposite thin films.

Structural properties of SiO(x)C(y)-Ag nanocomposite thin films prepared by a dual process PVD-PECVD in the same reactor have been investigated. The experimental results have demonstrated the influence of a PECVD process carried out at room temperature for the growth of a dielectric matrix on the size and the distribution density of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) deposited beforehand by magnetron sputtering. The plasma during the growth of the encapsulation SiO(x)C(y) layer caused a diffusion of silver from NPs through the SiO(x)C(y) matrix associated with a decrease in the average size of nanoparticles and an increase of their distribution density. Silver diffusion is blocked at a barrier interface to form a buried layer of individual Ag NPs which, for instance, can find plasmonic applications. Silver also diffuses toward the outer surface inducing antibacterial properties. In both cases initial Ag NPs act as reservoirs for multifunctional properties of advanced nanostructured films.