Interplay of Alkali, Transition Metals, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen in Ammonia Synthesis and Decomposition Reactions

Abstract

Conspectus The fixation of dinitrogen to ammonia is critically important for the biogeochemical cycle on earth. Ammonia also holds promise as a sustainable energy carrier. Tremendous effort has been devoted to the development of green processes and advanced materials for ammonia synthesis and decomposition under milder conditions, and encouraging progress has been made. The reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia needs electrons and protons, which hydridic hydrogen H– could supply. Polarized, electron-rich N x H y intermediates, on the other hand, can be stabilized by alkali or alkaline earth metal cations to lower kinetic barriers in the transformation. The inherent properties of alkali/alkaline earth metal hydrides (denoted as AH) endow them with a unique function in ammonia synthesis. In this Account, recent efforts in the exploration of alkali or alkaline earth metal hydrides (denoted as AH), amides, and imides (denoted as ANH hereafter) for ammonia synthesis and decomposition reactions will be summarized and discussed. We begin with an introduction to the chemistry of A with N2, NH3, and H2, highlighting the interconversion between AH and ANH that has profound implications on the formation and decomposition of NH3. We then present our finding on the strong synergistic effect between ANH and transition metals (TM) in ammonia decomposition catalysis, which stimulated our subsequent research on AH for ammonia synthesis. We discuss the effect and function mechanism of AH in the thermocatalytic and chemical looping ammonia synthesis processes. In the thermocatalytic process, AH cooperates with both early and late TM forming either composite catalysts with two active centers or complex metal hydride catalysts with electron- and hydrogen-rich ionic centers facilitating ammonia synthesis with high activities at lower temperatures. Very interestingly, AH levels the catalytic performances of TMs and intervenes in the energy-scaling relations of TM-only catalysts. Moreover, ANH serves as a new type nitrogen carrier effectively mediating ammonia synthesis via a low-temperature chemical looping process, in which N2 is fixed by AH forming ANH. Subsequently, ANH is hydrogenated to ammonia and AH. Late TMs have a strong catalytic effect on the chemical looping process. The unique interplay of A, N, TM, and H– offers plenty of opportunities for achieving dinitrogen conversion under mild conditions, while further efforts are needed to address the challenges in the fundamental understanding and practical application.

Subnanometric alkaline-earth oxide clusters for sustainable nitrate to ammonia photosynthesis

“…As an essential chemical, ammonia (NH 3 ) is industrially produced via the Haber-Bosch process, which consumes 1.0–2.0% of the world’s energy output and contributes to 1.6% of the world’s carbon emissions 1 – 4 . As an alternative, artificial electro-/photo-/photoelectrochemical nitrogen reduction reactions (N 2 RRs) for NH 3 synthesis, inspired by the natural microbial N 2 fixation, have attracted tremendous research interest 5 , 6 . Despite great achievements in recent decades, it is inconvenient to overlook that the future of N 2 RRs is plagued by the ultrahigh dissociation energy of the N≡N bond (941 kJ mol −1 ) 7 , 8 .…”

Enabling Semihydrogenation of Alkynes to Alkenes by Using a Calcium Palladium Complex Hydride

“…Metal hydrides have shown intriguing properties and functionalities in the activation and transformation of small molecules including H 2 , N 2 , and hydrocarbons. − Among them, complex transition-metal hydrides in the general formula of A m [TMH n ] containing transition metal (denoted as TM), alkali or alkaline earth metal (denoted as A), and hydride ligands are of particular interest and have been previously investigated as hydrogen and thermal storage materials based on their (de)­hydriding properties. , The hydride ligands are bonded to the transition-metal center forming anionic [TMH n ] δ− complexes. This electron- and H-rich [TMH n ] δ− complex could create a chemical environment affording an electron and/or hydrogen to reactive species during a reaction.…”

High‐Throughput Screening of Bicationic Redox Materials for Chemical Looping Ammonia Synthesis

“…In these candidates, experimental successes of redox materials involving Ni/Mn/Mo and alkali/alkaline-earth metals have been reported in recent studies. [31,68] More significantly, new cation combinations containing In-Mo, Fe-Mn, and In-W (in the families of TM/post-TM and TM/TM) have also shown promising potentials to be applied for MH-CL, with suitable phase stabilities and limiting reaction free energies.…”