Lasers and lithium team up for ammonia production at ambient conditions

Lasers could revolutionise nitrogen fixation, offering a new way to synthesise ammonia under ambient conditions. For the first time, researchers have used commercial carbon dioxide lasers to break the nitrogen–nitrogen triple bond, offering a new green alternative to the Haber Bosch process.

The international team of researchers used lasers to convert lithium oxide into metallic lithium, which spontaneously reacts with nitrogen in the air to form lithium nitride. This salt is easily hydrolysed into ammonia, breaking all current records in terms of yield.