In this paper, the generation and discharge modes of 2D atmospheric pressure plasma jet arrays in economic argon feeding gas with a honeycomb configuration is first reported. Two coupling and collimated discharge modes are achieved with the same array structure. The discharge modes are shown to depend on the gas flow rate and center-to-center distances of jets in the array. Stronger plasmas with higher plasma density than single jet can be obtained in coupling mode array at close proximity of jets in the array and small gas flow rate, while plasmas with moderate plasma density and relative large area can be obtained in the collimated mode array at far proximity of jets in the array. The power density and emission spectra from the centered plasma jet for the coupling mode array are both larger than those of the collimated mode. The appearance of the two discharge modes may be due to the hydrodynamic interactions between the seven individual Ar channels emerging from individual tubes with the air surrounding them.

Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet (APPJ) arrays are considered as one of the most promising methods for uniform plasma processing of large uneven surfaces. To improve the downstream uniformity and enhance the surface treatment effects, it is important to reveal the mechanisms of the jet‐to‐jet interactions of plasma plumes in the jet array. In this paper, the electrical, optical, and fluid characteristics of the He and Ar three‐channel one‐dimensional (1D) plasma jet arrays with cross‐field needle‐ring electrode structure are studied and compared. It is found that there are divergences in the outside plumes of the propagation trajectory by the repellency of the plasma bullets and the spatial uniformity of the He and Ar plasma jet arrays can be improved with a lower applied voltage and a higher gas flow rate. The deflection angle of side plumes with respect to the central one of He is larger than that of Ar jet array due to the lighter molecular weight and better discharge synchronization. The experimental results show that Ar jet array is more controllable and stable and is more suitable for the design of the practical, simpler, and cheaper scalable plasma jet arrays.

This article discusses the ‘power-to-X’ (P2X) concept, highlighting the integral role of non-thermal plasma (NTP) in P2X for the eco-friendly production of chemicals and valuable fuels. NTP with unique thermally non-equilibrium characteristics, enables exotic reactions to occur under ambient conditions. This review summarizes the plasma-based P2X systems, including plasma discharges, reactor configurations, catalytic or non-catalytic processes, and modeling techniques. Especially, the potential of NTP to directly convert stable molecules including CO₂, CH₄ and air/N₂ is critically examined. Additionally, we further present and discuss hybrid technologies that integrate NTP with photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and biocatalysis, broadening its applications in P2X. It concludes by identifying key challenges, such as high energy consumption, and calls for the outlook in plasma catalysis and complex reaction systems to generate valuable products efficiently and sustainably, and achieve the industrial viability of the proposed plasma P2X strategy.

Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet arrays can greatly enhance the treatment area to fulfill the need for large-scale surface processing, while the spatial uniformity of the plasma jet array is closely related to the interactions of the adjacent jets. In this paper, a three-tube one-dimensional (1D) He plasma jet array with a cross-field needle-ring electrode structure is used to investigate the influences of the gas flow rate and applied voltage on the interactions of the adjacent jets through electrical, optical, and fluid measurements. The repulsion of the adjacent plume channels is observed using an intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) and the influence of the gas flow rate and applied voltage on the electrostatic repulsion force, Coulomb force, is discussed. It is found that electrical coupling, mainly electrostatic repulsion force, exists among the jets in the array, which causes both the divergence of the lateral plumes and the nonlinear changes of the discharge power and the transport charge. The deflection angle of the lateral plumes with respect to the central plume in the optical images increases with the increase of applied voltage and decreases with the increase of gas flow rate. The deflection angle of the lateral plumes in the optical images is obviously larger than that of the lateral gas streams in the Schlieren images under the same experimental conditions, and the unconformity of the deflection angles is mainly attributed to the electrostatic repulsion force in adjacent plasma plume channels. The experimental results can help understand the interaction mechanisms of jets in the array and design controllable and scalable plasma jet arrays.