Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Photodriven nitrogen fixation by lithium hydride

  • Research Briefing
  • Published:

From Nature Chemistry

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Dinitrogen (N2) fixation to ammonia (NH3) is typically challenging under mild conditions. Now, lithium hydride (LiH) is shown to mediate photodriven N2 fixation under ambient conditions. Under ultraviolet illumination, LiH is photolysed to release H2, leaving electrons residing in surface hydrogen vacancies, which facilitate N2 activation and photocatalytic NH3 synthesis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1: Photodriven dehydrogenation of LiH and N2 fixation mediated by LiH.

References

  1. Lewis, N. S. Research opportunities to advance solar energy utilization. Science 351, aad1920 (2016). A review article that presents the major developments and research opportunities as well as the remaining challenges for solar energy utilization.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Medford, A. J. & Hatzell, M. C. Photon-driven nitrogen fixation: current progress, thermodynamic considerations, and future outlook. ACS Catal 7, 2624–2643 (2017). A review article that presents the current state of and outlook for the field of photodriven N2 fixation.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gao, W. et al. Production of ammonia via a chemical looping process based on metal imides as nitrogen carriers. Nat. Energy 3, 1067–1075 (2018). This paper reports that alkali and alkaline earth metal hydrides and imides can mediate NH3 production through a chemical looping route.

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Lewis, W. B. & Pretzel, F. Properties of lithium hydride—III. Paramagnetic resonance of color centers. J. Phys. Chem. Solids 19, 139–146 (1961). This paper reports the formation of F-centres in a LiH single crystal upon exposure to ionizing radiation.

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Chen, R. et al. Spatiotemporal imaging of charge transfer in photocatalyst particles. Nature 610, 296–301 (2022). This paper reports that spatiotemporally resolved surface photovoltage measurements can be used to map holistic charge-transfer processes.

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Guan, Y. et al. Transition-metal-free barium hydride mediates dinitrogen fixation and ammonia synthesis. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 61, e202205805 (2022). This research paper presents the mechanism of thermal N2 fixation by barium hydride.

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This is a summary of: Guan, Y. et al. Light-driven ammonia synthesis under mild conditions using lithium hydride. Nat. Chem. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-023-01395-8 (2024).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Photodriven nitrogen fixation by lithium hydride. Nat. Chem. 16, 310–311 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-024-01444-w

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-024-01444-w

  • Springer Nature Limited

Search

Navigation