Project description
New iron catalysts for green ammonia production
Modern agriculture relies heavily on ammonia, which is currently manufactured using the century-old Haber-Bosch method. This generates over 1 % of global carbon emissions. Shifting to electricity-driven synthesis offers a green alternative, yet current electrochemical methods are highly unstable and inefficient. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the FeAmo project will develop a sustainable platform for ammonia production. Instead of using unstable lithium-based methods, researchers will combine promoter-stabilised iron catalysts with anhydrous electrolytes at moderate temperatures and low pressures. They will control proton delivery and verify the reaction with isotope labelling, allowing to scale this chemistry into continuous-flow reactors. This will help establish a new green standard for decentralised fertiliser production and renewable energy storage.
Objective
Ammonia (NH3) is indispensable for food production and is emerging as a carbon-free energy carrier. Yet, its synthesis still relies on the century-old Haber–Bosch (HB) process, which consumes 1–2% of global energy and emits >1% of CO2. Electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR) powered by renewable electricity offers a sustainable, decentralized alternative, but current approaches face critical bottlenecks. Li-mediated eNRR achieves selectivity against the competing hydrogen evolution (HER) but depends on an unstable solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI), operates at extreme potentials, lacks scalability, and has a low theoretical energy efficiency (28%). Fe-based catalysts are a promising alternative, but early proof-of-concept studies were constrained by unsuitable proton sources, rapid deactivation, ultralow current densities, and missing isotope validation. The FeAmo (Iron-based Electrochemical Ammonia) project will pioneer a new strategy for selective, scalable Fe-catalyzed eNRR using anhydrous electrolytes at intermediate temperatures (100–200 °C) and low pressures (1–10 bar). By eliminating the SEI and enabling controlled proton flux, FeAmo targets sustained NH3 synthesis at practical current densities. The project will: (i) design stable anhydrous electrolytes with tunable proton delivery, (ii) synthesize and characterize promoter-stabilized Fe catalysts, (iii) verify NH3 production using isotope labeling and contamination controls, (iv) employ operando spectroscopy to unravel mechanisms, and (v) integrate these advances into a continuous-flow reactor for validation under scalable conditions. If successful, FeAmo will establish a new paradigm for green ammonia synthesis: a platform uniting molecular-level understanding with reactor-level engineering. This foundation will guide the development of decentralized fertilizer production, strengthen ammonia’s role as a renewable energy carrier, and accelerate progress toward carbon-free chemical production.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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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
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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2800 Kongens Lyngby
Denmark
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