Running on empty: New affordable catalyst relies on nitrogen vacancies to produce ammonia
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 - 10:01
in Physics & Chemistry
Ammonia (NH3) is one of the most commonly produced chemicals worldwide, because of its use as an important ingredient in a broad range of industrial manufacturing processes. For instance, it is pivotal in the production of fertilizers, and over 150 million tons of it are applied each year to increase the yields of various crops. Ammonia is produced naturally by many living organisms, but synthesizing it artificially using nitrogen (N2) and hydrogen (H2) gasses is challenging because the strong bond between N atoms is difficult to break.