Plasma Assisted Peroxide Generation with Reduced CO2 Emissions

The Department of Energy is soliciting innovations in low temperature plasma-based sterilization techniques to continue the development of this field, increase knowledge of plasma-surface interactions and the chemistry that can occur at these interfaces, and provide societal benefits. Conventional sterilizing solutions are produced off site, resulting in the need for transportation and storage of potentially dangerous chemicals, emit large amounts of CO2, and typically produce hazardous byproducts. To overcome these limitations, there is a need to develop on-site, environmentally friendly sanitizing solutions that sanitize surfaces without leaving behind hazardous surfaces. This Phase I program will develop a low temperature plasma-based hydrogen peroxide reactor. Hydrogen peroxide is a well known and clean sterilizing chemical, and the design of the reactor aims to produce peroxide directly on-site with little to no CO2 emissions. The US Department of Energy has a goal of decarbonizing the economy by 2050. Hydrogen peroxide consumption is projected to increase over the coming years, driving a need for more production. In order to meet the decarbonization goal, new methods for producing peroxide with limited to no CO2 emissions must be developed. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the need for increased surface sanitization, leading to a projected increase in general public consumption of peroxide. In order to meet this need development of simple peroxide production methods such as this are needed.