Primary steps in catalytic synthesis of ammonia

1983/04/01 by G. Ertl · 270 citations
Chemical Engineering · Materials Science · #Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction #Catalytic Processes in Materials Science #Hydrogen Storage and Materials

paper · doi:10.1116/1.572299

published in Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films 1(2), 1247-1253 (American Vacuum Society)

crossref issued 1983/04/01 · crossref published 1983/04/01 · crossref published-print 1983/04/01 · openalex publication_date 1983/04/01 · crossref created 2002/07/27 · crossref deposited 2023/06/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/03 · crossref indexed 2026/08/07

Abstract

Synthesis of ammonia from the elements (N2+3H2→2NH3) is performed over promoted iron catalysts at high pressures and temperatures (Haber–Bosch process) and represents, for about seventy years, one of the most important industrial catalytic reactions. This report is intended to demonstrate what kind of information on the nature of the catalyst surface, as well as on the microscopic reaction steps, can be obtained by the ‘‘surface science approach’’, i.e., by using a variety of surface spectroscopic techniques and by performing model studies with single crystal surfaces.

Cited by

• Predicting Catalysis: Understanding Ammonia Synthesis from First-Principles Calculations
• Ammonia Synthesis from First-Principles Calculations
• “Single-atom” catalysis: An opportunity for surface science
• Haber process [wikipedia]