The air-water interfacial nitrogen cycle produces irrigatable-level ammonium nitrate.

ABSTRACT: We report a sustainable, air-based strategy for synthesizing ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) by harnessing the redox-active properties of microscale air-water interfaces. The process proceeds through two sequential reactions: (1) the nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR), generating nitrate (NO₃ ^-) from atmospheric N₂, and (2) the nitrate reduction reaction (NO₃RR), converting nitrate into ammonium ions (NH₄ ⁺). In the first step, ambient air is introduced into a recirculating microbubble system, where solar irradiation and a water-soluble photocatalyst drive the efficient oxidation of N₂ to nitrate, producing NO₃ ^- at a rate of 500 μmol L^-1 h^-1. In the secon

SUBMITTER: Song X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12536449 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature