Considerations for Capturing and Converting Martian CO2 with Room Temperature Ionic Liquid-Based ISRU Systems

Room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are an emerging option for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) at ambient pressures on the surface of Mars due to their negligible vapor pressures and affinity for CO2. Some RTILs also promote the efficient and selective electrochemical reduction of CO2 to useful products, such as carbon monoxide (CO) or methane (CH4). An in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) system may be able to utilize these properties to both capture CO2 from the Mars atmosphere and facilitate the subsequent reduction process. Several RTIL-based ISRU architectures are introduced and characterized. A discussion regarding the operational environment is also included.