In situ resource utilization of lunar soil for highly efficient extraterrestrial fuel and oxygen supply.

ABSTRACT: Building up a lunar settlement is the ultimate aim of lunar exploitation. Yet, limited fuel and oxygen supplies restrict human survival on the Moon. Herein, we demonstrate the in situ resource utilization of lunar soil for extraterrestrial fuel and oxygen production, which may power up our solely natural satellite and supply respiratory gas. Specifically, the lunar soil is loaded with Cu species and employed for electrocatalytic CO₂ conversion, demonstrating significant production of methane. In addition, the selected component in lunar soil (i.e. MgSiO₃) loaded with Cu can reach a CH₄ Faradaic efficiency of 72.05% with a CH₄ production rate of 0.8 mL/min at 600 mA/cm². Simultaneously, an O₂ production rate of 2.3 mL/

SUBMITTER: Zhong Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9935986 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature