Vasile I. Parvulescu received his master's degree in Catalysis from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest in 1979 and in 1986 gained his PhD in Chemistry from the same university, where he investigated the selectivity of bi- and multimetal catalysts in hydrogenation of aromatic hydrocarbons. After several years as high-senior researcher at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry and Rare Metals, in 1992 he joined the University of Bucharest, where he became full professor in 1999. His current interest concerns the study of heterogeneous catalysts for green and fine chemistry and environmental protection. He authored more than 230 papers, 25 patents, and 4 books. He was awarded in 1990 with the prize of the Romanian Academy and in 2008 Proclaimed Knight of the National Order for Merit by the Romanian President. Dr. Monica Magureanu is a senior researcher in the National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (NILPRP) in Bucharest, Romania. She received her M.Sc. degree from the University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics in 1996. In 1995 she joined NILPRP. Between 2000 and 2002 she was with the Institute for Low Temperature Plasma Physics (INP) Greifswald, Germany for her PhD studies on methane conversion into higher hydrocarbons in microwave plasma and she received her PhD degree from Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Greifswald in 2002. Her present research interests include non-equilibrium plasma at atmospheric pressure and applications to air and water pollution abatement. Dr. Petr Lukes is a senior researcher at the Institute of Plasma Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in Prague, Czech Republic. He has over 15 years research experience in the field of chemical and physical processes induced by non-thermal plasma in water and gas/liquid environments and their environmental and biomedical applications. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in chemical and environmental engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, Czech Republic, in 1995 and 2002, respectively. In 2003 he was awarded a NSF-NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship in Science and Engineering and performed postdoctoral research at Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA. He is the author of numerous journal papers and conference presentations in the field of plasmachemistry in water. In 1995 he received the Czech Chemical Society Award, and in 2006 the Otto Wichterle Award from the Academy of Sciences CR.

Preface

AN INTRODUCTION TO NONEQUILIBRIUM PLASMAS AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
Introduction
Coronas and Streamers
Glow Discharges at Higher Pressures
Dielectric Barrier and Surface Discharges
Gliding Arcs
Concluding Remark

CATALYSTS USED IN PLASMA-ASSISTED CATALYTIC PROCESSES: PREPARATION, ACTIVATION, AND REGENERATION
Introduction
Specific Features Generated by Plasma-Assisted Catalytic Applications
Chemical Composition and Texture
Methodologies Used for the Preparation of Catalysts for Plasma-Assisted Catalytic Reactions
Catalysts Forming
Regeneration of the Catalysts Used in Plasma Assisted Reactions
Plasma Produced Catalysts and Supports
Conclusions

NOX ABATEMENT BY PLASMA CATALYSIS
Introduction
General deNOx Model over Supported Metal Cations and Role of NTP Reactor: "Plasma-Assisted Catalytic deNOx Reaction"
About the Nonthermal Plasma for NOx Remediation
Special Application of NTP to Catalytic Oxidation of Methane on Alumina-Supported Noble Metal Catalysts
NTP-Assisted Catalytic NOx Remediation from Lean Model Exhausts Gases
Conclusions

VOC REMOVAL FROM AIR BY PLASMA-ASSISTED CATALYSIS-EXPERIMENTAL WORK
Introduction
Plasma-Catalytic Hybrid Systems for VOC Decomposition
VOC Decomposition in Plasma-Catalytic Systems
Concluding Remarks

VOC REMOVAL FROM AIR BY PLASMA-ASSISTED CATALYSIS: MECHANISMS, INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PLASMA AND CATALYSTS
Introduction
Influence of the Catalyst in the Plasma Processes
Influence of the Plasma on the Catalytic Processes
Thermal Activation
Plasma-Mediated Activation of Photocatalysts
Plasma-Catalytic Mechanisms

ELEMENTARY CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PHENOMENA IN ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE PLASMA IN GAS-LIQUID ENVIRONMENTS AND IN LIQUIDS
Introduction
Physical Mechanisms of Generation of Plasma in Gas-Liquid Environments and Liquids
Formation of Primary Chemical Species by Discharge Plasma in Contact with Water
Chemical Processes Induced by Discharge Plasma Directly in Water
Concluding Remarks

AQUEOUS-PHASE CHEMISTRY OF ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE PLASMA IN WATER AND IN GAS-LIQUID ENVIRONMENTS
Introduction
Aqueous-Phase Plasmachemical Reactions
Plasmachemical Decontamination of Water
Aqueous-Phase Plasma-Catalytic Processes
Concluding Remarks

BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE PLASMA IN WATER AND IN GAS-LIQUID ENVIRONMENTS
Introduction
Microbial Inactivation by Nonthermal Plasma
Chemical Mechanisms of Electrical Discharge Plasma Interactions with Bacteria in Water
Physical Mechanisms of Electrical Discharge Plasma Interactions with Living Matter
Concluding Remarks

HYDROGEN AND SYNGAS PRODUCTION FROM HYDROCARBONS
Introduction: Plasma Catalysis
Current State of Hydrogen Production, Applications, and Technical Requirements
Description and Evaluation of the Process
Plasma-Assisted Reforming
Summary of the Results and Outlook