CO2 conversion using catalyst-free and catalyst-assisted plasma-processes: Recent progress and understanding

The up to date progress, present status and future directions of CO2 conversion in various gaseous discharges are critically overviewed. The main theoretical aspects alongside with the resent achievements in the field, mainly related to non-thermal discharges, are discussed. A special accent is made on the advantages of the catalytic CO2 decomposition in the plasma phase (plasma catalysis). The promising candidates among the different plasma processes and the available catalytic materials are systematically analyzed, which is of a great importance for further progress in the field as well as for potential applications.