Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

N2 as Chemical Feedstock – Synthetic Nitrogen Fixation beyond Haber-Bosch

Objective

The chemical transformation of dinitrogen is one of the most important industrial processes. Thereby produced ammonia serves as nitrogen source for almost any synthetic nitrogen containing compound, such as fertilizers or many polymers and pharmaceuticals. However, despite forcing conditions associated with high energy consumption, the Haber-Bosch process gives low yields in NH3. Hence, homogeneous, bioinspired nitrogen fixation is a longstanding goal, yet with very limited success. In this proposal, we strive to circumvent the Haber-Bosch process for the synthesis of N-containing chemicals by direct N2 functionalization upon initial splitting into molecular nitrides at ambient conditions and subsequent C–N bond formation. Catalytic platforms will be developed based on late, electron rich transition metal complexes with functional pincer ligands, which represents a fundamentally new approach for this purpose. The overall N2 functionalization effort will be broken down into three elementary steps, i.e. N2 splitting, de-/hydrogenation of metal bound N-species, and C–N bond formation. These subprojects are examined individually with a combination of modern synthetic, physical inorganic, and computational methods. These results will finally enable the rational design of homogeneous catalysts. Hence, besides the primary goal to directly use N2 as chemical feedstock this project will also serve the secondary objectives of making important contributions to related timely and challenging topics, such as C–N coupling by nitrenoid transfer or the use of nitrogen compounds, especially ammonia, as chemical fuels in energy storage applications. The previous record of my group in the chemistry of electron-rich transition metal complexes with functional pincer ligands, N2 splitting/coupling, and the activation of other N-containing small-molecules provide a strong basis for the feasibility of these challenging goals.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2014-CoG

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

GEORG-AUGUST-UNIVERSITAT GOTTINGEN STIFTUNG OFFENTLICHEN RECHTS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 998 500,00
Address
WILHELMSPLATZ 1
37073 Gottingen
Germany

See on map

Region
Niedersachsen Braunschweig Göttingen
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 998 500,00

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0