# Could the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere of Venus be heated enough by concentrated sunlight to create water and oxygen?

The atmospheric pressure and temperature at about 50 to 60 km above the surface of Venus is nearly the same as that of the Earth, making its upper atmosphere the most Earth-like area in the Solar System. But it has thick sulfuric acid clouds and there's almost no water and no oxygen.

This Wikipedia article about the sulfur-iodine cycle gives this chemical equation:

2H$$_2$$SO$$_4$$ --> 2SO$$_2$$ + 2H$$_2$$O + O$$_2$$ (830$$^0$$ C)

Could concentrated sunlight be strong enough in the atmosphere of Venus to heat the sulfuric acid above 830$$^0$$ C ?

Or could a MMRTG deliver sufficient heat to create water and oxygen this way ?

• Earth-like conditions imply that the equilibrium of that reaction lies heavily to the left. As you introduce heat, it shifts towards the right. The source of the heat doesn't matter, e.g. focussed sunlight or any kind of reactor would do. – Everyday Astronaut Aug 17 at 18:32
• Even if this worked, the SO2 would just recombine with the water and the oxygen to reform the acid. – Mike H Aug 17 at 21:41
• @MikeH It's just logic that in a chemical process you separate the formed products to prevent them from recombining. – Conelisinspace Aug 18 at 8:36
• @Conelisinspace Logic yes, however the practicalities of separating gases might be challenging while floating on top of the atmosphere. And where would you put a few billion tons of SO2? – Mike H Aug 18 at 21:02
• @MikeH Yes it would be very challenging to separate superheated steam from the SO$_2$, i only can think of cooling down to water and then let the gases escape into the clouds again. – Conelisinspace Aug 18 at 21:34

• A well composed answer, but i would like to have evidence that with focused sunlight the temperature will become higher than 830$^0$ C. – Conelisinspace Aug 18 at 8:30
• Not any kind of power can generate the necessary temperature of at least 830$^0$ C. Can you demonstrate for instance that a MMRTG can deliver such high temperature ? – Conelisinspace Aug 18 at 13:31
• Isn't there something wrong with your calculation ? Would after 40 min, the stuff be 1600$^0$ C , and so on ? – Conelisinspace Aug 18 at 21:19