Synergistically Activating N <sub>2</sub> and CO <sub>2</sub> at Water Microdroplet Interfaces
Nitrogen (N<sub>2</sub>) fixation is essential for sustaining life but is challenging under ambient conditions. Industrial N<sub>2</sub> fixation is energy-intensive and exacerbates carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) emissions, while high concentration of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> urgently requires scalable mitigation strategies. In this study, we report that simultaneous spontaneous activation of N<sub>2</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> under ambient conditions in microdroplets, producing ammonium (NH<sub>4</sub> <sup>+</sup>), nitrite (NO<sub>2</sub> <sup>-</sup>), and formate (HCO<sub>2</sub> <sup>-</sup>), as confirmed by isotopic labelling experiments and theoretical calculations. This can clarify the doubts about environmental ammonia pollution in microdroplets. The activation of N<sub>2</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> exhibits a synergistic enhancement effect in microdroplets. Mechanistic investigation reveals novel pathways involving the CO<sub>2</sub>-facilitated N<sub>2</sub> fixation and the oxygen radical (<sup>•</sup>O)-mediated N<sub>2</sub> fixation. This discovery offers a sustainable pathway for green N<sub>2</sub> fixation and atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> utilization, and offers insights into the potential formation pathway of HONO in the atmosphere.
Authors
- Zuo‐Chang Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5201-0524)
- Zaifa Shi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7905-4866)
- Lan‐Sun Zheng
- Zongwei Cai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8724-7684)
- Cunhao Cui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1059-3167)
- Thomas Ka‐Yam Lam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0728-0266)
- Yunkai Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4226-3805)
- Jing Nie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1599-0206)
- Xu Cai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1790-7915)
- Yanyan Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7882-7874)
- Jianing Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4039-7301)
- Qingjie Zeng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5140-323X)
- Ying Han (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5568-4812)
- Lei Guo
- Shui‐Chao Lin
- Jianing Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5203-8767)
Institutions
- Hong Kong Baptist University (HK)
- Xiamen University (CN)
- Zhejiang Business Technology Institute (CN)
- Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology (CN)
- Fuzhou University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Published
- 2025-11-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202519068
- Primary Topic
- Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00