Light-driven green ammonia synthesis in soil using bio-inorganic hybrid electrode (SolN)

Ammonia (NH3) is a key chemical for the fertilizer industry and the global chemical economy. However, the Haber-Bosch process for NH3 synthesis is energy and capital intensive, responsible for 2% of global energy consumption and 1.44% of CO2 emissions. Hence, this project will develop a novel yet simple approach to on-site synthesize green NH3 in soil by using a novel bio-inorganic hybrid electrode to translocated the electrons from solar to otherwise reducing power and energy-limited soil for microbial nitrogen fixation. The benefits of this approach are two-fold. It will dramatically reduce the energy and capital costs, carbon and water footprint for NH3 synthesis and transportation. Secondly, it could capture CO2 into biomass and potentially combat climate change. The outcomes will not only lead to a breakthrough innovation that may fundamentally change the way we make NH3 but will also generate new knowledge and lay a methodological foundation for future research.