Recent advances in the application of plasma technology in hydrogen energy research

Hydrogen energy is one of the potential solutions for achieving carbon neutrality. Plasma technology plays an auxiliary role in the production, transportation, and utilization of hydrogen energy. Particularly, plasma, which is excited by renewable electrical energy, is a green and alternative technology for hydrogen energy production. This review summarizes the role of plasma technology in the hydrogen energy field in recent years, with a focus on plasma’s applications in water electrolysis for hydrogen production, methane cracking, ammonia cracking, and ammonia synthesis. The role of plasma in aiding the synthesis of water electrolysis catalysts is primarily reflected in three aspects: etching micro-grooves on the catalyst substrate, creating catalyst vacancies, and enhancing atomic modification. In methane and ammonia cracking to produce hydrogen and ammonia synthesis, the role of plasma is primarily to improve the performance of the process by means of combined catalysis. Given the importance of plasma in catalyst preparation, we recommend using machine learning-assisted high-throughput screening to obtain the best theoretical catalyst structure and then using plasma for targeted catalyst synthesis. Meanwhile, first-principles calculations should be used to clarify the catalytic mechanisms of the catalysts.