Emerging Strategies for Sustainable Nitrogen Activation to Ammonia

作者：Meng Tian, Hongan Zhao, Mingyue Zheng, Jong‐Min Lee, Yuntong Sun · 发表于：Small · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1002/smll.202513076 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction、Inorganic Chemistry and Materials、Machine Learning in Materials Science

Abstract Activating inert nitrogen (N 2 ) under mild conditions remains a grand challenge in chemistry, constrained by strong N≡N bonding and high kinetic stability. While the Haber–Bosch process has long dominated ammonia (NH 3 ) production, its energy‐intensive nature and heavy carbon footprint highlight the urgent need for alternative, low‐carbon strategies. Recent advances have redefined N 2 fixation by bypassing some of these thermodynamic constraints through novel mechanistic and platform innovations. This Review systematically examines six emerging approaches: electrocatalysis, photo/photoelectrocatalysis, non‐thermal plasma activation, lithium‐mediated reduction, mechanochemistry, and microdroplet‐based catalysis. By integrating insights from molecular mechanisms to interface engineering and system‐level design, shared bottlenecks such as low selectivity, competing side reactions, and scale‐up challenges are we identified. Looking forward, cross‐field hybridization (e.g., plasma–droplet or mechano‐electrocatalytic combinations) and system‐level engineering are poised to unlock synergistic efficiencies and enable distributed, on‐demand NH 3 production. Additionally, machine learning and data‐driven design will accelerate catalyst discovery, optimize interfaces, and elucidate complex activation pathways beyond conventional approaches. Collectively, these strategies establish a roadmap for decentralized, energy‐efficient, and carbon‐neutral N 2 conversion, redefining the...