Some techniques with a long tradition in the plasma technology field have already been successfully applied to research in plasma–wall interactions of fusion devices. They have produced important advances in the control of particle and energy exhaust. In this paper, the possible application of these techniques to the problem of tritium inventory control in fusion reactors with carbon-based plasma facing materials, as in ITER, is proposed. It is based on a critical analysis of relevant information obtained in the field of hard CN film deposition and consists of the use of chemical scavengers for the inhibition of tritium-rich carbon-film formation in hidden areas of the divertor. The practical implementation of the technique, however, requires a detailed knowledge of the physio-chemical processes involved, and, to date, experiments in cold and divertor plasmas have been performed. Very recent experiments in the ASDEX Upgrade device have shown that the injection of nitrogen in the sub-divertor region can lead to a drastic decrease in the level of deposited material with no significant effects in the performance of the main plasma. This and other findings are interpreted in the light of recent results from laboratory and divertor plasma experiments and the extrapolation to new divertor scenarios is discussed.