Integrated Plasma-Solid Oxide Electrolyte Cell Technology for CO₂ Utilization

At the intersection of renewable energy integration and carbon dioxide utilization lies an opportunity to simultaneously address Earth's climate challenges while advancing Mars exploration capabilities. Hybrid plasma-solid oxide electrolyte cell (SOEC) systems have shown promise in this CO₂ splitting processes and oxygen separation [1-3]. This study investigates an integrated plasma-SOEC system that converts CO₂ into valuable products using renewable electricity.

We evaluated oxygen production performance in a plasma-SOEC hybrid system, focusing on plasma power effects and SOEC operating temperature optimization. Conventional CO₂ electrolysis without plasma demonstrated limited efficiency due to sluggish surface kinetics. However, applying plasma power lower than the SOEC heating power achieved synergistic energy efficiency, resulting in a forty-fold improvement in oxygen transport performance. The system can achieve high oxygen separation efficiency up to 98%. Surface kinetic analysis revealed oxygen as the dominant reactant competing with CO for surface kinetics. The plasma-enhanced system inhibited CO recombination compared to conventional SOEC operation while improving CO₂ conversion rate. Ex-situ experiments mimicking plasma-generated fluxes at higher temperatures (700-800°C) showed decreased oxygen pumping efficiency due to enhanced CO oxidation, confirming the advantage of plasma synergy.

This technology offers dual terrestrial and extraterrestrial benefits. For Earth applications, it enhances carbon recycling capabilities supporting circular economy principles while improving efficiency in CO₂ conversion processes. For Mars missions, the system enables efficient oxygen production at reduced temperatures, allowing compact, energy-efficient life-support systems optimized for Martian conditions. This research creates valuable synergies between solving Earth's environmental challenges and enabling exploration to Mars.

References

[1] S. Mori et al, Plasma Process. Polym. 14, 1600153 (2017).

[2] G. Chen et al., Chem. Eng. J. 392, 123699 (2020).

[3] Zhu H, et al., ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. (2025).