Molecular dinitrogen anions pave the way for low-temperature ammonia synthesis

While ammonia (NH₃) is best known for its role in fertilizer production, it is attracting attention as a carbon-free hydrogen carrier, potentially offering a practical way to store and transport clean fuel. Despite this promise, NH₃ synthesis still depends on high-temperature, high-pressure processes that are difficult to scale up sustainably. The reason behind this is the extremely strong bond between nitrogen atoms in nitrogen gas (N₂), which requires a lot of energy to break.