Paving the way for greener ammonia production

MIT News reports that ammonia production, essential for fertilizer, relies on the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process, which accounts for about one and a half percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers at MIT have developed a computational method to predict which metal nitride catalysts could make electrochemical ammonia production cost-competitive. The approach, published in the journal EES Catalysis, uses machine learning and quantum simulations to identify key physical properties that drive catalytic activity, potentially speeding up the search for greener alternatives. The work is still theoretical, and the next step is testing the promising materials in the lab.

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