Enhanced VOC Abatement in Indoor Air: Synergistic Hybrid Reactor of Low Voltage DBD Plasma/UV-Photocatalyst for MEK Decomposition

This study presents the development and performance evaluation of a novel hybrid reactor integrating a UV-photocatalyst with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma for the abatement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air, with a specific focus on methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). A notable achievement was the substantial reduction of ozone-typically a major byproduct of DBD systems-through the synergistic interaction with the UV-photocatalyst. Compared to individual UV-photocatalyst or DBD plasma units, the hybrid configuration exhibited a significantly enhanced reaction rate constant across varying inlet MEK concentrations. However, Conversely, increasing the inlet gas concentration led to reductions in both CO₂ selectivity and the carbon balance, defined as the CO₂-to-CO ratio. The application of a TiO₂ sol coating on the glass barrier had a minimal effect on the electrical discharge characteristics. The energy efficiency analysis based on specific energy density (SED) and energy yield raised the necessity of identifying optimal operating conditions, particularly in relation to applied voltage and gas flow rate.