Researchers have out how to make the essential agricultural fertiliser.
One of the most important nitrogen fertilisers for agricultural productivity is urea, which has a high nitrogen concentration. It serves as a key raw ingredient for a variety of manufacturing sectors, including the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and plastics industries.
Currently, ammonia and carbon dioxide are mostly used in the severe conditions of commercial urea production, requiring significant energy inputs. It is mostly produced via the Haber-Bosch process, which uses 2% of the world’s annual energy.
The moderate industrial Haber-Bosch process has been replaced with urea electrosynthesis as a promising replacement. Low selectivity and slow C-N coupling, however, place a limit on it.
Researchers from Queensland University of Technology have discovered a method to produce urea at room temperature without using as much energy as is needed to produce synthetic urea the old-fashioned manner. By using a graphene-based catalyst in a chemical reaction between nitrogen and carbon monoxide at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, they proposed a novel technique for producing urea.
First author of the paper, Dr. Junxian Liu, stated that “this approach significantly reduces energy inputs compared to traditional methods, making it a promising advancement in urea production.”
“While this work is still in the theoretical stage, we have identified a promising catalyst for sustainable, energy-efficient urea synthesis.”
“We are currently working with other research teams to advance this new technology’s practical application.”
