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.

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.