Phosphorus atoms help drive metal to form ammonia, adding insights to turning renewable energy to fuel
Underappreciated compared to its heavier metal counterparts, chromium failed for more than 30 years to turn nitrogen gas into ammonia, a reaction that involves breaking one tough bond and making six new ones. But scientists at the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis thought chromium was up to the job; it just needed a little support. At the center, one of DOE's Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs), the scientists created a 12-atom ring structure called a ligand that partially surrounds the metal and offers a stable environment for the metal to drive the reaction. By creating this ligand structure, the team demonstrated the importance of the environment supporting chromium. Often a key to controlling metal reactivity, the structure encircling the chromium causes the normally unreactive dinitrogen to become more reactive when it binds to the metal.