Electrode-Driven Catalysis in Plasma-Based CO₂ Conversion for Mars ISRU
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hope-glenn-niya-sm-aeroastro-2026-thesis.pdf
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22.98 MB
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Author(s)
Hope-Glenn, Niya
Advisor(s)
Guerra-Garcia, Carmen
Date Issued
May 2026
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Sustainable human exploration of Mars, a potentially habitable planet, requires in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) to reduce reliance on supplies from Earth. This work investigates nonthermal plasma discharges as a low-energy and energy-selective route for CO₂ dissociation to produce molecular oxygen (O₂) which is required for both breathable air and rocket propellant. Unlike thermal decomposition or conventional electrolysis systems for oxygen production, plasma discharges leverage electron excitation chemistry to break stable C=O bonds under mild operating conditions at ambient Martian pressures. However, plasma-based CO₂ dissociation generates competing reaction pathways, making selective oxygen formation challenging. Plasma catalysis has emerged as a promising strategy for enhancing O₂ selectivity through plasma-surface interactions. In this thesis, an experimental investigation is conducted using a modular nanosecond repetitively pulsed dielectric barrier discharge (NRP-DBD) reactor to determine how electrode material and surface geometry affect oxygen production and energy efficiency. Several electrode materials are evaluated, including pure nickel, nickel-copper alloys, stainless-steel, and pure copper. Surface morphology is modified through dry and wet etching techniques, as well as axial grooves machined into the electrodes, to enhance the local electric field and increase the surface of interaction with the plasma. In this work, comparative results of electrode materials and electrode-surface treatments provide insight into the role of electrode-based catalytic effects and electric field enhancement in plasma-based CO₂ conversion. These findings contribute to the system scaling of the NRP-DBD reactor, as well as the development of plasma-based ISRU technologies.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
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