Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2025

Ammonia Synthesis at Low Pressure
Published on: August 23, 2017
Spiers Memorial Lecture: Catalytic activation of molecular nitrogen for green ammonia synthesis: introduction and
Hideo Hosono1,2
1MDX Research Centre for Element Strategy, International Research Frontiers Initiative, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Midori, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan. hosono@mces.titech.ac.jp.
Abstract:
The efficient synthesis of ammonia using carbon-footprint-free hydrogen under mild conditions is a grand challenge in chemistry today. To achieve this objective, novel concepts are needed for the activation process and catalyst. This article briefly reviews catalytic activation of N2 for ammonia synthesis under mild conditions. The features of the various activation methods reported so far are summarized, looking chronologically back at progress in heterogeneous catalysts since the use of iron oxide for the Haber-Bosch process, and finally the technical challenges to be overcome are described. Establishing low work functions for the support materials of the metal catalysts is one key to reducing the activation barrier to dissociate N2. Surfaces of electride materials that preserve the character of the bulk are shown to be useful for this purpose. The requirements of desired catalysts are high efficiency at low temperatures, Ru-free compositions, and chemical robustness in the ambient atmosphere.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation
Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this...
Preparation of Amines: Alkylation of Ammonia and Amines
Each alkylation step makes the nitrogen center more nucleophilic, which triggers successive alkylations until a quaternary ammonium salt is formed. Considering...
Preparation of 1° Amines: Gabriel Synthesis
Strong bases like NaOH or KOH deprotonate the phthalimide to form the corresponding anion, which acts as a nucleophile. Further, the anion attacks an...
Preparation of Amines: Reduction of Amides and Nitriles
Amides can be reduced to primary, secondary, and tertiary amines using catalytic hydrogenation, active metals like Fe,...
Preparation of Amines: Reduction of Oximes and Nitro Compounds
Though catalytic hydrogenation can reduce nitrobenzenes, the reduction is nonselective in the presence of other functional groups. For instance, if nitrobenzene contains an aldehyde group,...

