The production of synthetic ammonia remains dependent on the energy- and capital-intensive Haber–Bosch process. Extensive research in molecular catalysis has demonstrated ammonia production from dinitrogen, albeit at low production rates. Mechanistic understanding of dinitrogen reduction to ammonia continues to be delineated through study of molecular catalyst structure, as well as through understanding the naturally occurring nitrogenase enzyme. The transition to Haber–Bosch alternatives through robust, heterogeneous catalyst surfaces remains an unsolved research challenge. Catalysts for electrochemical reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia are a specific focus of research, due to the potential to compete with the Haber–Bosch process and reduce associated carbon dioxide emissions. However, limited progress has been made to date, as most electrocatalyst surfaces lack specificity towards nitrogen fixation. In this Review, we discuss the progress of the field in developing a mechanistic understanding of nitrogenase-promoted and molecular catalyst-promoted ammonia synthesis and provide a review of the state of the art and scientific needs for heterogeneous electrocatalysts.

合成氨的生产仍然取决于能源和资本密集型的​​Haber-Bosch工艺。广泛的分子催化研究表明，二氮制氨法虽然产率低。通过对分子催化剂结构的研究以及对天然存在的固氮酶的了解，对如何将二氮还原为氨的机理的理解继续被描述。通过坚固，异构的催化剂表面向Haber–Bosch替代品的过渡仍然是尚未解决的研究挑战。由于可以与Haber-Bosch工艺竞争并减少相关的二氧化碳排放，因此将电化学方法将二氧化氮还原为氨的催化剂是研究的重点。但是，到目前为止，进展有限，因为大多数电催化剂表面对固氮缺乏特异性。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了在发展对固氮酶促进和分子催化剂促进的氨合成的机理的理解方面的进展，并综述了非均相电催化剂的技术现状和科学需求。