Record Ammonia Production Achieved with Inexpensive Cobalt Catalyst at Low Temperatures

A new barium-containing oxyhydride electride (BaAl2O4-xHy) support material developed by Tokyo Tech researchers boosts the catalytic activity of cobalt catalysts, enabling low-temperature synthesis of ammonia with high efficiency. The material promotes the dissociation of nitrogen by donating electrons to cobalt, resulting in a catalytic activity that is comparable to ruthenium at low temperatures (340°C).