Industrial ammonia synthesis still relies on the Haber–Bosch process, which operates at 500–600 °C and 200–500 atm and consumes 1–2% of global energy while emitting more than 300 Mt of CO₂ annually. This project designs an electron-rich Co–N-heterocyclic carbene (Co–NHC) catalyst capable of reducing dinitrogen to ammonia under mild photocatalytic / electrocatalytic conditions. By tuning the electronic structure at the cobalt center through tailored NHC ligands, the work seeks to weaken the N≡N triple bond at low temperature and pressure and provide a viable, low-energy route to nitrogen fixation, complementing — but distinct in catalyst class from — the doctoral hydrogen-evolution research.

Industrial ammonia synthesis still relies on the Haber–Bosch process, which operates at 500–600 °C and 200–500 atm and consumes 1–2% of global energy while emitting more than 300 Mt of CO₂ annually. This project designs an electron-rich Co–N-heterocyclic carbene (Co–NHC) catalyst capable of reducing dinitrogen to ammonia under mild photocatalytic / electrocatalytic conditions. By tuning the electronic structure at the cobalt center through tailored NHC ligands, the work seeks to weaken the N≡N triple bond at low temperature and pressure and provide a viable, low-energy route to nitrogen fixation, complementing — but distinct in catalyst class from — the doctoral hydrogen-evolution research.