Decoding technical multi-promoted ammonia synthesis catalysts
Abstract Ammonia is industrially produced by the Haber-Bosch process over a fused, multi-promoted iron-based catalyst. Current knowledge about the reaction has been derived from model systems of reduced structural complexity, impeding any clear-cut structure-activity correlation relevant for the ind...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63061-6 |
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| author | Luis Sandoval-Díaz Raoul Blume Kassiogé Dembélé Jan Folke Maxime Boniface Frank Girgsdies Adnan Hammud Zahra Gheisari Danail Ivanov René Eckert Stephan Reitmeier Andreas Reitzmann Robert Schlögl Beatriz Roldan Cuenya Holger Ruland Axel Knop-Gericke Thomas Lunkenbein |
| author_facet | Luis Sandoval-Díaz Raoul Blume Kassiogé Dembélé Jan Folke Maxime Boniface Frank Girgsdies Adnan Hammud Zahra Gheisari Danail Ivanov René Eckert Stephan Reitmeier Andreas Reitzmann Robert Schlögl Beatriz Roldan Cuenya Holger Ruland Axel Knop-Gericke Thomas Lunkenbein |
| author_sort | Luis Sandoval-Díaz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Ammonia is industrially produced by the Haber-Bosch process over a fused, multi-promoted iron-based catalyst. Current knowledge about the reaction has been derived from model systems of reduced structural complexity, impeding any clear-cut structure-activity correlation relevant for the industrial counterpart. Here, we unveil the structural evolution of complex, technical, multi-promoted ammonia synthesis catalysts by operando scanning electron microscopy and near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We highlight that the activation is the critical step in which the catalyst is formed and decode the pivotal role of the promoters. We discover that the active structure consists of a nanodispersion of Fe covered by mobile K-containing adsorbates, so called “ammonia K”. The porous catalyst is stabilized by mineral cementitious phases containing oxides of Al, Si, Ca, and Fe. The synergism between the different promoters contributes simultaneously to the structural stability, hierarchical architecture, catalytic activity, and poisoning resistance. The confluence of these aspects is the key for the superior performance of technical catalyst formulations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3d180d09b9524b9f9b8b3305fd109cf3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-3d180d09b9524b9f9b8b3305fd109cf32025-08-24T11:38:28ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-08-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-63061-6Decoding technical multi-promoted ammonia synthesis catalystsLuis Sandoval-Díaz0Raoul Blume1Kassiogé Dembélé2Jan Folke3Maxime Boniface4Frank Girgsdies5Adnan Hammud6Zahra Gheisari7Danail Ivanov8René Eckert9Stephan Reitmeier10Andreas Reitzmann11Robert Schlögl12Beatriz Roldan Cuenya13Holger Ruland14Axel Knop-Gericke15Thomas Lunkenbein16Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-SocietyDepartment of Heterogeneous Reactions, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy ConversionDepartment of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-SocietyDepartment of Heterogeneous Reactions, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy ConversionDepartment of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-SocietyDepartment of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-SocietyDepartment of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-SocietyDepartment of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-SocietyDepartment of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-SocietyClariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbHClariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbHClariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbHDepartment of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-SocietyDepartment of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-SocietyDepartment of Heterogeneous Reactions, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy ConversionDepartment of Heterogeneous Reactions, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy ConversionDepartment of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-SocietyAbstract Ammonia is industrially produced by the Haber-Bosch process over a fused, multi-promoted iron-based catalyst. Current knowledge about the reaction has been derived from model systems of reduced structural complexity, impeding any clear-cut structure-activity correlation relevant for the industrial counterpart. Here, we unveil the structural evolution of complex, technical, multi-promoted ammonia synthesis catalysts by operando scanning electron microscopy and near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We highlight that the activation is the critical step in which the catalyst is formed and decode the pivotal role of the promoters. We discover that the active structure consists of a nanodispersion of Fe covered by mobile K-containing adsorbates, so called “ammonia K”. The porous catalyst is stabilized by mineral cementitious phases containing oxides of Al, Si, Ca, and Fe. The synergism between the different promoters contributes simultaneously to the structural stability, hierarchical architecture, catalytic activity, and poisoning resistance. The confluence of these aspects is the key for the superior performance of technical catalyst formulations.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63061-6 |
| spellingShingle | Luis Sandoval-Díaz Raoul Blume Kassiogé Dembélé Jan Folke Maxime Boniface Frank Girgsdies Adnan Hammud Zahra Gheisari Danail Ivanov René Eckert Stephan Reitmeier Andreas Reitzmann Robert Schlögl Beatriz Roldan Cuenya Holger Ruland Axel Knop-Gericke Thomas Lunkenbein Decoding technical multi-promoted ammonia synthesis catalysts Nature Communications |
| title | Decoding technical multi-promoted ammonia synthesis catalysts |
| title_full | Decoding technical multi-promoted ammonia synthesis catalysts |
| title_fullStr | Decoding technical multi-promoted ammonia synthesis catalysts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Decoding technical multi-promoted ammonia synthesis catalysts |
| title_short | Decoding technical multi-promoted ammonia synthesis catalysts |
| title_sort | decoding technical multi promoted ammonia synthesis catalysts |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63061-6 |
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