Winner: 2023 Materials Chemistry Horizon Prize: Stephanie L Kwolek Prize
Electrocatalytic Urea Synthesis Team
For the development of efficient electrocatalysts to support conversion of nitrogen towards a more sustainable and economical method of producing urea, a key compound for fertilizers.
A new, greener method of producing urea - a key compound found in fertiliser – has been discovered by a team of scientists from Nanyang Technological University, the University of Texas Austin and the University of Science and Technology of China.
The use of urea in fertiliser is vital for crop growth and helps to feed more than half the world’s population. As global food demand rises, this exciting development could contribute to more sustainable agricultural practices and inspire the design of sustainable chemistry approaches.
Urea is currently produced by reacting carbon dioxide (CO2) and ammonia (NH3) at relatively high temperatures and high pressure using the Haber-Bosch approach. However, this is energy intensive and accounts for 2% of total global energy consumption and 2% of global CO2 emissions. The team of scientists, led by Prof Qingyu Yan and Prof Guihua Yu, developed a new reaction path for the creation of urea using indium (III) hydroxide (In(OH)3) and achieved record high efficiency.