Enhanced decomposition of sulfur trioxide in the water-splitting iodine–sulfur process via a catalytic membrane reactor

Abstract

Here, for the first time, we report the decomposition of SO₃ within an intermediate-temperature range using a catalytic membrane reactor. We achieved a remarkable level of O₂/SO₃ selectivity at 18.7 (Knudsen selectivity: 1.6) and a significant increase in SO₃ conversion at 600 °C. In addition, normalized Knudsen-based permeance (NKP) through the microporous silica membrane allowed us to provide the first report on the molecular size of SO₃ molecule (0.470 nm).