New Strategies Towards Photochemical Nitrogen Fixation (2023)

Undergraduate: Afrah Faraz

Faculty Advisor: Alexander Miller
Department: Chemistry

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Nitrogen Fixation is the chemical process in which molecular dinitrogen (N2) is reduced to ammonia (NH3). Over the past century, the catalytic synthesis of ammonia has been implemented in industry through the Haber-Bosch process. The Haber-Bosch process relies on fossil fuels and contributes significantly to global carbon dioxide emissions. The Miller lab at UNC Chapel Hill has widely explored more sustainable alternatives to the Haber-Bosch process with transition metal-dinitrogen complexes as catalysts for the reaction. This project aims to produce ammonia from a photochemical approach, using light to drive nitrogen fixation. The synthesis of N2 reducing catalysts and photocatalysts will be presented along with N2 reduction reactivity studies. The research offers opportunities to gain insight into photochemical pathways for ammonia synthesis.

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