Chemical reaction studies in CH4/Ar and CH4/N2 gas mixtures of a dielectric barrier discharge

Chemical reactions in a dielectric barrier discharge at medium pressure of 250-300 mbar have been studied in CH4/Ar and CH4/N2 gas mixtures by means of mass spectrometry. The main reaction scheme is production of H2 by fragmentation of CH4, but also production of higher order hydrocarbon molecules such as CnHm with n up to 9 including formation of different functional CN groups is observed. Formation of C2H2, C2H4, and C2H6 molecules has been investigated in some detail. Significant differences are noted in comparison to a theoretical estimate. I