Bernie M. Penetrante

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
7000 East Avenue, Mailstop L-300
Livermore, California 94550, USA
penetrante1@llnl.gov

Lean-burn engines have recently attracted considerable attention because of their high fuel efficiency and lower carbon dioxide emission. These engines operate under net oxidizing conditions, rendering conventional catalysts ineffective for controlling the nitrogen oxide emissions. There are currently no known catalysts that have the activity, durability, and temperature window required to effectively remove nitrogen oxides from the exhaust of lean-burn engines. The combination of a plasma with a catalyst provides a very promising solution to this problem. We have been investigating the effects of a plasma on the NOx reduction activity and temperature operating window of various catalytic materials. One of our goals is to develop a fundamental understanding of the interaction between the gas-phase plasma chemistry and the heterogeneous chemistry on the catalyst surface. This paper will discuss how a plasma enhances the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides in lean-burn engine exhaust.