Ammonia Synthesis Catalysts with Functional Heteroanion Sites

Abstract

Green ammonia synthesis, which utilizes H₂ produced from renewable energies such as wind and solar light, is now becoming a hot topic over the world. To realize this new process, the development of new catalysts that can function under lower temperatures and pressures than Haber-Bosch process is strongly desired. We have recently developed new solid materials with functional heteroanion sites such as H⁻ and N³⁻ ions as catalysts for ammonia synthesis under mild reaction conditions. Here, we mainly focus on the role of heteroanion sites of oxyhydrideand oxynitride-supported transition metal catalysts on the catalytic performance in ammonia synthesis.