Bioelectrochemical Haber-Bosch Process: An Ammonia-Producing H2/N2Fuel Cell.
Nitrogenases are the only enzymes known to reduce molecular nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3). By using methyl viologen (N,N'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium) to shuttle electrons to nitrogenase, N2reduction to NH3can be mediated at an electrode surface. The coupling of this nitrogenase cathode with a bioanode that utilizes the enzyme hydrogenase to oxidize molecular hydrogen (H2) results in an enzymatic fuel cell (EFC) that is able to produce NH3from H2and N2while simultaneously producing an electrical current. To demonstrate this, a charge of 60 mC was passed across H2/N2EFCs, which resulted in the formation of 286 nmol NH3mg-1MoFe protein, corresponding to a Faradaic efficiency of 26.4 %.
Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.|School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
Ross D
0000-0002-2229-0243
RD
Milton
Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
Rong
R
Cai
Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
Sofiene
S
Abdellaoui
School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
Dónal
D
Leech
Instituto de Catalisis y Petroleoquimica, CSIC, C/ Marie Curie 2, L10, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
Antonio L
AL
De Lacey
Instituto de Catalisis y Petroleoquimica, CSIC, C/ Marie Curie 2, L10, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
Marcos
M
Pita
Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
Shelley D
0000-0002-5788-2249
SD
Minteer
Haber-Bosch process; ammonia; fuel cells; nitrogen reduction; nitrogenase