Green energy-driven ammonia production for sustainable development goals

Nitrogen is the fundamental element for all living organisms to build proteins, nucleic acids, and various biomolecules. The industrial Haber-Bosch process, a cornerstone in converting atmospheric nitrogen (N-2 ) to metabolic ammonia (NH3), is marked by its significant carbon footprint. With the widespread deployment of renewable energy systems, exploring sustainable approaches for ambient, low-carbon, and decentralized NH3 3 production is promising yet challenging. This perspective summarizes our recent advancements in designing catalytic systems for NH(3 )synthesis, which use innocuous N2 or detrimental nitrate (NO3-) as feedstocks, harnessing solar light and electricity as the source of green energy. We demonstrate some active sites' engineering strategies to improve the activity and selectivity of catalytic NH3 synthesis. A flow-through-coupled device is then highlighted for efficient NH3 separation without any pH adjustment. We also discuss the challenges and perspectives of sustainable nitrogen loops powered by green energy in aspects of fundamental research and industrial application.