Project Grant 2554796

The National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry awarded the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill $323,952 on August 15, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to support collaborative research on electrochemical nitrogen fixation. The award funds research by professors Alexander Miller (UNC Chapel Hill), Alan Goldman (Rutgers University), and Patrick Holland (Yale University) to develop new catalytic routes to convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia through electrochemical processes operating at low temperature and pressure. The technical work combines theory and computation to guide catalyst development, electrocatalysis performance assessment, and mechanistic investigation, with particular focus on catalysts that promote nitrogen splitting and proton-coupled electron transfer to nitride complexes. The project supports on-site production of fertilizer or fuels from air and electricity, potentially reducing energy intensity and supply chain vulnerabilities compared to current high-temperature, high-pressure industrial ammonia synthesis. The team will also expand the nitrogenfixers.org outreach program by collaborating with teacher groups to develop and disseminate hands-on electrochemistry activities for both in-person and remote learning. Performance occurs in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with project completion on July 31, 2029.