University of Liverpool homepage

Professor

Xin Tu

Chair in Plasma Catalysis

Electrical Engineering and Electronics

Orcid identifier0000-0002-6376-0897
  • Chair in Plasma Catalysis
    Electrical Engineering and Electronics

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Plasma-catalytic electrification technologies for decentralised Power-to-X processes
- Hydrogen production (e.g. methane cracking, ammonia cracking, biogas reforming)
- CO2 conversion and utilisation (e.g., CO2 splitting to CO, CO2 hydrogenation to CO, CO2 methanation and CO2 hydrogenation to methanol)
- CH4 activation (e.g., biogas reforming to syngas, CH4 oxidation to methanol, single-step biogas to liquid fuels and chemicals such as methanol, ethanol and acetic acid, CH4 cracking to H2 and carbon nanomaterials)
- Nitrogen fixation (e.g., NOx synthesis from the air, NH3 synthesis from N2 and H2)
- Syngas cleaning and removal of tars from biomass gasification to deliver clean syngas
- Biomass/plastics waste to fuels and chemicals
- AI/ML-guided rational design of catalytic materials for fuel and chemical production
- Techno-economic assessment of plasma-based chemical processes

 

Plasma technology for environmental pollution control
- Plasma catalysis for the removal of environmental pollutants such as VOCs, PAHs, PM, and NOx.
- Plasma treatment of organic solvents from the nuclear industry
- Thermal plasma vitrification of nuclear waste

 

Plasma synthesis of energy and functional materials
- Plasma synthesis and modification of catalytic materials for thermal catalysis, electrocatalysis and photocatalysis.
- Plasma synthesis of carbon nanomaterials from the pyrolysis of carbon sources
- Plasma synthesis of electrode materials for batteries