Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 28: Oxide and insulator surfaces: Structure, epitaxy and growth – Poster

O 28.1: Poster

Monday, March 9, 2026, 18:00–20:00, P2

Probing Reactions at the Plasma-Catalyst Interface — •Maarten van Dorp and Roland Bliem — ARCNL, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Efficient conversion of CO2 into value-added chemicals is a major step towards tackling climate change. However, chemical activation of CO2 by conventional catalysis requires exceedingly high reaction temperatures, straining energy efficiency and consequently industrial viability. Plasma-assisted catalytic conversion (PLAC) circumvents this by activating CO2 dissociation through the repeated impact of *hot* electrons from a non-thermal plasma, lowering the reaction barrier while selectively heating chemically activated CO2 species. However, to rationally design new PLAC catalysts, and therefore unlock the full potential of PLAC, crucial information about the short-lived intermediates is still unknown.

Here, a NiAl(110) substrate with an epitaxially grown alumina layer (Al10O13) was selected as well-defined support for carrying Cu-nanoparticles as a model system for the hydrogenation of CO2 with PLACIn this model system, a complete characterization of transient intermediates * both within the ECR microwave plasma and on the catalyst surface * requires a combination of complementary spectroscopic techniques, such as XPS, in-situ IRAS, LEED, and OES. . We establish the model system for plasma applications by synthesizing different alumina thicknesses, characterizing them with LEED, and testing their stability during exposure to plasma-activated species using in situ XPS.

Keywords: Alumina; XPS; LEED; In-situ plasma; Surface science