Recent advances in the kinetic study of plasma-assisted CO₂ conversion

Plasma-assisted CO₂ conversion is regarded as a promising way to achieve net-zero carbon emissions on Earth and in-situ production of oxygen and fuel on Mars. For the modelling of CO₂ plasmas, the complete description of the energy transfer pathways is a challenging subject. In this work we report recent advances in the kinetic study of CO₂ plasmas: (i) By distinguishing CO₂ dissociation from electron excitation channels, we suggest a complete and consistent set of electron impact cross-sections for CO₂, suitable for a full coupling between the electron and chemical kinetics; (ⅱ) The crucial role of electronically excited states in gas heating is confirmed under DC and Microwave discharges conditions; (ⅲ) The effect of the vibrational energy of CO₂ and CO molecules in defining the time-scales for the evolution of gas temperature in post discharges is pointed out. These recent advances provide new insights into the setup of cross-sections in electron kinetics and gas heating mechanisms in discharge and post discharge.