Candle Soot Nanoparticles versus Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as a High-Performance Cathode Catalyst for Li–CO2Mars Batteries for Mars Exploration

Increased CO2 emissions on the earth causing global warming and climate change have provided a thrust to explore Li-CO2 battery chemistry, where CO2 is used as an energy carrier. In addition, the occurrence of CO2 as a major natural abundant gas in the Martian atmosphere opens the possibility of using Li-CO2 batteries for interplanetary Mars missions. In this work, we aim to investigate facile and inexpensive candle soot carbon nanoparticles as a cathode catalyst against commercially available multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for stable and high-performance Li-CO2 batteries for Mars exploration. The unique interconnected morphology and higher surface area of candle soot nanoparticles facilitate better reversibility (more than 80 cycles) compared to MWCNTs even at a high current density of 200 mA g-1 with a cutoff capacity of 500 mAh g-1. The full discharge capacity for candle soot nanoparticles was measured to be 5318 mAh g-1 with a coulombic efficiency of 42% as compared to 16% for MWCNTs. The rate capability studies were performed to establish the ability to operate the system reversibly at different current densities in a simulated Martian atmosphere. The outcome of this study paves the way toward developing a candle soot cathode-based practicable Li-CO2 battery for utilization on Mars.