Abstract:The glow discharge plasma electrolysis of 1-propanol solutions is studied in this paper by GC-MS, GC and optical emission spectroscopy. It is shown that the gas and liquid products of the reactions induced by the glow discharge plasmas mainly include hydrogen, monoxide, methane, ethane, propane, butane, water, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, benzene, and toluene. The kinds of the gas products and the yields of the products are mainly affected by the discharge voltage and discharge current. The decomposition of 1-propanol molecules is induced by the glow discharge plasmas around the discharge electrode, similar to those induced by the corona plasmas and dielectric discharge plasmas. Non-faradic phenomena related with the glow discharge electrolysis of the 1-propanol solutions are caused by the accelerated electrons within the gas sheath around the discharge electrode. Reactive species and electrons excite the 1-propanol molecules on the plasma-electrolyte interface during the cathodic glow discharge, and meanwhile some reactive species are produced. The reactive species mainly contain C3H3, CO+, CH, CH2O, H, H2O+, CH2 and H2O. The bond energy theory is used to analyze the generating paths of the main products.