KAIST takes on Haber-Bosch with ammonia breakthrough

In Korea, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology researchers developed a catalyst that significantly boosts ammonia synthesis at lower temperatures and pressures, potentially cutting energy use and emissions from a century-old industrial process, the university announced on March 11.

Led by Professor Min-Ki Choi, the team designed a system combining ruthenium (Ru) and barium oxide (BaO) on a conductive carbon surface, mimicking a “chemical capacitor” that enhances electron flow. This configuration enables ammonia synthesis at 300°C and 10 bar, conditions far milder than the conventional Haber-Bosch process, which requires over 500°C and 100 bar and is responsible for substantial global CO₂ emissions.

“By controlling electron movement within a conventional thermal catalytic reaction, we’ve demonstrated a significant performance boost,” Choi stated. The catalyst achieved seven times higher ammonia synthesis rates than previous top-tier catalysts under similar conditions.

This breakthrough could shift ammonia production from centralized, high-cost facilities to decentralized small-scale systems, aligning with the needs of a hydrogen-based economy. The findings, published in Nature Catalysis on February 24, were co-authored by doctoral researcher Yejun Baek and supported by the Korea Institute of Energy Research and the National Research Foundation of Korea.

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