Sustainable Synthesis of Ammonium Nitrate From Air and Water via Tandem Plasma‐Electrolyzer System

ABSTRACT Ammonium nitrate (NH 4 NO 3 ) is an indispensable high‐nitrogen fertilizer, yet its conventional industrial production via the energy‐intensive Haber–Bosch and Ostwald processes accounts for a significant global carbon footprint. Herein, we report an alternative method for directly synthesizing NH 4 NO 3 from air and water by integrating plasma‐assisted nitrogen oxidation (pNOR) with paired electrocatalytic nitrite reduction and oxidation (eNO 2 – RR/eNO 2 – OR) in a neutral medium (0.5 M phosphate buffer solution). Key to this technology is the rational design of a Co 3wt% Cu@C cathode catalyst for the critical eNO 2 – RR step, which operates via a dual‐active‐site mechanism: Cu sites adsorb and activate NO 2 – , while adjacent Co sites efficiently dissociate water to generate reactive hydrogen species (*H). Subsequent hydrogen spillover from Co to Cu sites dramatically accelerates NO 2 – hydrogenation to NH 4 + , achieving almost 100% Faradaic efficiency toward NH 3 and a high NH 4 + yield rate of 512 µmol cm −2 h −1 at a low potential of –0.5 V vs. RHE. The integrated pNOR‐eNO 2 – RR/eNO 2 – OR system operates stably over 210 h (affording 8.5 mmol h −1 NH 4 NO 3 ) with significant techno‐economic advantages. Further, the obtained NH 4 NO 3 solutions can serve as N‐P‐K fertilizer for plant growth, offering a route to on‐demand, on‐site fertilizer synthesis from air and water for smart agriculture.

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Publication Details

Journal
Angewandte Chemie
Published
2026-06-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.3006166
Primary Topic
Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
Type
article
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article

Sustainable Synthesis of Ammonium Nitrate From Air and Water via Tandem Plasma‐Electrolyzer System

Hao Niu, G A Waterhouse, Qiuhong Sun, Xiao‐Jue Bai et al.
Angewandte Chemie
Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
article

Sustainable Synthesis of Ammonium Nitrate From Air and Water via Tandem Plasma‐Electrolyzer System

Hao Niu, G A Waterhouse, Qiuhong Sun, Xiao‐Jue Bai, Yufei Zhao, Zhiyong Tang, Yang Li, Yao Xue, Wenjing Dong
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ammonium nitrate (NH 4 NO 3 ) is an indispensable high‐nitrogen fertilizer, yet its conventional industrial production via the energy‐intensive Haber–Bosch and Ostwald processes accounts for a significant global carbon footprint. Herein, we report an alternative method for directly synthesizing NH 4 NO 3 from air and water by integrating plasma‐assisted nitrogen oxidation (pNOR) with paired electrocatalytic nitrite reduction and oxidation (eNO 2 – RR/eNO 2 – OR) in a neutral medium (0.5 M phosphate buffer solution). Key to this technology is the rational design of a Co 3wt% Cu@C cathode catalyst for the critical eNO 2 – RR step, which operates via a dual‐active‐site mechanism: Cu sites adsorb and activate NO 2 – , while adjacent Co sites efficiently dissociate water to generate reactive hydrogen species (*H). Subsequent hydrogen spillover from Co to Cu sites dramatically accelerates NO 2 – hydrogenation to NH 4 + , achieving almost 100% Faradaic efficiency toward NH 3 and a high NH 4 + yield rate of 512 µmol cm −2 h −1 at a low potential of –0.5 V vs. RHE. The integrated pNOR‐eNO 2 – RR/eNO 2 – OR system operates stably over 210 h (affording 8.5 mmol h −1 NH 4 NO 3 ) with significant techno‐economic advantages. Further, the obtained NH 4 NO 3 solutions can serve as N‐P‐K fertilizer for plant growth, offering a route to on‐demand, on‐site fertilizer synthesis from air and water for smart agriculture.

Angewandte Chemie
University of Auckland (NZ), Quzhou University (CN), National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (CN), Beijing University of Chemical Technology (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 18%
Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
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Sustainable Synthesis of Ammonium Nitrate From Air and Water via Tandem Plasma‐Electrolyzer System — Hao Niu, G A Waterhouse, et al. · Angewandte Chemie (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS