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yesterday

University of Tokyo Achieves Tenfold Scale-Up in Sunlight-Driven Ammonia Production

Scientists have developed an artificial photosynthesis system using dual catalysts to produce ammonia from nitrogen and water, marking a major step toward sustainable agriculture and reduced carbon emissions.

Ammonia production is energy intensive. A new approach could help change this.
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Overview

  • The University of Tokyo team has scaled up ammonia synthesis using artificial photosynthesis to a volume ten times larger than previous experiments, signaling readiness for pilot trials.
  • The process uses sunlight and dual molecular catalysts—iridium for water activation and molybdenum for nitrogen activation—to produce ammonia efficiently and with minimal energy input.
  • This innovation offers a low-carbon alternative to the Haber-Bosch process, which accounts for about 2% of global CO₂ emissions and dominates current ammonia production.
  • Challenges remain in addressing the potential toxicity of tertiary phosphines used in the process and improving the sustainability of the catalysts for long-term use.
  • The findings, published in Nature Communications, highlight the potential for decentralized, small-scale ammonia production that could reduce transportation emissions and support clean energy applications.