Westhead, O;
Jervis, R;
Stephens, IEL;
(2021)
Is lithium the key for nitrogen electroreduction?
Science
, 372
(6547)
pp. 1149-1150.
10.1126/science.abi8329.
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Abstract
The Haber-Bosch process converts nitrogen (N2) and hydrogen (H2) into ammonia (NH3) over iron-based catalysts. Today, 50% of global agriculture uses Haber-Bosch NH3 in fertilizer. Efficient synthesis requires enormous energy to achieve extreme temperatures and pressures, and the H2 is primarily derived from methane steam reforming. Hence, the Haber-Bosch process accounts for at least 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions (1). Electrochemical N2 reduction to make NH3, powered by renewable electricity under ambient conditions, could provide a localized and greener alternative. On page 1187 of this issue, Suryanto et al. (2) report highly efficient and stable electrochemical N2 reduction based on a recyclable proton donor. This study builds on earlier work showing that an electrolyte containing a lithium salt in an organic solvent with a sacrificial proton donor was unmatched in its ability to unequivocally reduce N2 (3, 4). In both studies, it is still unclear why lithium is so critical.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Is lithium the key for nitrogen electroreduction? |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1126/science.abi8329 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abi8329 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Ammonia, Lithium, Models, Molecular, Nitrogen, Protons |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Chemical Engineering |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10131734 |
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