Degradation of methylene blue by a continuous microfluidic plasma process
Hongyu Huang , Mei Ji , Hongfei Zhu , Rabin Duwal , Jie Shen , Sirui Li , Volker Hessel , Liangliang Lin
Plasma degradation of organic pollutants serves as a promising alternative to conventional water treatment methods. This study develops a dielectric barrier discharge microfluidic plasma system that synergizes microfluidic technology with plasma to achieve the continuous and efficient degradation of methylene blue. Systematic investigation of processing parameters revealed that methylene blue degradation efficiency is enhanced by increasing the residence time or plasma power, or by decreasing the initial methylene blue concentration. Notably, complete degradation (100%) of a 100 mg∙L–1 methylene blue solution was achieved at a residence time of merely 15.95 s and a plasma power of 17.3 W. Kinetic analysis revealed that degradation process follows a pseudo-first-order reaction model. Radical quenching experiments identified hydroxyl radicals as the pivotal oxidative species driving the reaction. On this basis, reaction mechanisms as well as the scale-up strategy of the plasma-driven methylene blue degradation process were discussed. Energy yield is further used to evaluate energy efficiency of the microfluidic plasma system, highlighting its potential for practical applications. This work establishes microfluidic plasma processing as an intensified, efficient and continuous strategy for the treatment of organic pollutants in water.
microfluidic plasma / plasma degradation / process intensification / water treatment / methylene blue
Higher Education Press 2026
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