Efficient H₂O₂ production with dielectric barrier discharge plasma and aerosolized water

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is a green oxidant in that it produces only water as a byproduct. Its demand is steadily increasing in various fields such as sterilization, disinfection, and semiconductor and display cleaning processes. However, industrial H₂O₂ production relies on the anthraquinone process, which raises environmental concerns due to organic solvent use and poses challenges in storing and transporting H₂O₂ at high concentrations, necessitating the development of a sustainable, on-demand alternative. This study investigates the use of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and aerosolized water for the one-step production of high-concentration H₂O₂. The H₂O₂ concentration produced by a coaxial DBD reactor with aerosolized water supplied from a Collison nebulizer was measured as a function of input power. Simultaneously, the electrical characteristics of the plasma and the gas-phase ozone concentration were measured using the Lissajous method and optical absorption spectroscopy (OAS), respectively. A zero-dimensional (0-D) kinetic model was also developed to simulate the proposed process, analyze the H₂O₂ synthesis pathways, and elucidate the mechanisms enabling high-concentration production. Our results demonstrate the potential of plasma technology as a green method for H₂O₂ production and offer insights for process optimization.