Advances in Catalysis in Nitrogen-to-Ammonia Fixation

Dear Colleagues,

In 2021, the total global production of ammonia (NH₃) was 150 million metric tons, reaching the highest level in nearly a decade. More than 80% of synthesized NH₃ is currently consumed in the manufacturing of fertilizer to satisfy the demands of the increasing global population. In addition, NH₃ is expected to be used as a carbon-free energy carrier because it can easily be stored and transported. Although some research has focused on nitrate (NO₃^-) hydrogenation to NH₃, nitrogen (N₂)-to-NH₃ fixation still attracts considerable attention because its required components are green and plentiful. The main challenges for N₂-to-NH₃ fixation are the activation of N₂ and sluggish reaction kinetics, corresponding to the strong bond energy of N≡N (940.95 kJ·mol^-1) and the complex multi-step six-electron process, respectively.

Since the discovery of the Haber–Bosch (HB) process in 1909, it has been used to produce a large proportion of the global NH₃ over the last 100 years. Practical NH₃ production via the HB process has enabled the global population to nearly quadruple since the rapid implementation of the process in the early 20^th century. However, to promote the rupture of N≡N and the hydrogenation reaction, the HB process requires high-temperature (400-500 °C) and pressure (10-20 MPa) reaction conditions, which accounts for around 1.5% of the total global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and consumes about 2% of the world’s annual energy supply. An alternative, green and environmentally efficient process for nitrogen (N₂)-to-NH₃ fixation with renewable energy needs to be pursued for sustainable NH₃ production.

Submissions to this Special Issue, entitled “Advances in Catalysis in Nitrogen-to-Ammonia Fixation”, may take the form of original research articles and short reviews which reflect state-of-the-art work on N₂-to-NH₃ fixation through photocatalytic, electrochemical, photoelectrochemical and enzymatic routes on the following topics: the efficient catalytic conversion of N₂ to NH₃, catalyst research and development for the N₂ reduction reaction (NRR), catalyst stability and deactivation, the catalytic mechanism, the kinetics and modeling of NRR, novel catalytic routes for NRR, and structure–functional relationships of catalysts.

Dr. Jianyun Zheng
Dr. Huaijuan Zhou
Guest Editors

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• efficient catalytic conversion of N₂ to NH₃
• catalyst research and development for N₂ reduction reaction (NRR)
• catalyst stability and deactivation
• catalytic mechanism, kinetics and modeling of NRR novel catalytic routes for NRR structure–functional relationships of catalysts