Ammonia synthesis is a cornerstone of the chemical industry, critical for fertilizer production and global food security. The Haber-Bosch process, relying heavily on iron-based catalysts, has been optimized over the decades. However, conventional catalysts still face limitations related to reaction conditions, energy efficiency, and catalyst deactivation. This review focuses on recent advances in inverse structured iron catalysts a novel configuration where the support encapsulates the active iron phase, reversing the conventional catalyst design. This inverse approach promises improved dispersion, enhanced surface properties, and increased resistance to sintering and poisoning. The review explores the synthesis methods, structural characterization, mechanistic insights, and catalytic performance of inverse iron catalysts, comparing them with traditional systems. Finally, it addresses current challenges and outlines future directions in the development of sustainable and efficient ammonia synthesis technologies.
| Published in | American Journal of Chemical Engineering (Volume 13, Issue 4) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ajche.20251304.11 |
| Page(s) | 76-82 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Ammonia Synthesis, Inverse Catalyst, Iron Catalyst, Core-Shell Structure, Haber-Bosch, Catalytic Efficiency, Nitrogen Fixation, Catalyst Design
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APA Style
Hailemariam, T. T. (2025). Ammonia Synthesis over an Iron Catalyst with an Inverse Structure: A Comprehensive Review. American Journal of Chemical Engineering, 13(4), 76-82. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajche.20251304.11
ACS Style
Hailemariam, T. T. Ammonia Synthesis over an Iron Catalyst with an Inverse Structure: A Comprehensive Review. Am. J. Chem. Eng. 2025, 13(4), 76-82. doi: 10.11648/j.ajche.20251304.11
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Download@article{10.11648/j.ajche.20251304.11,
author = {Tsiye Tekleyohanis Hailemariam},
title = {Ammonia Synthesis over an Iron Catalyst with an Inverse Structure: A Comprehensive Review
},
journal = {American Journal of Chemical Engineering},
volume = {13},
number = {4},
pages = {76-82},
doi = {10.11648/j.ajche.20251304.11},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajche.20251304.11},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajche.20251304.11},
abstract = {Ammonia synthesis is a cornerstone of the chemical industry, critical for fertilizer production and global food security. The Haber-Bosch process, relying heavily on iron-based catalysts, has been optimized over the decades. However, conventional catalysts still face limitations related to reaction conditions, energy efficiency, and catalyst deactivation. This review focuses on recent advances in inverse structured iron catalysts a novel configuration where the support encapsulates the active iron phase, reversing the conventional catalyst design. This inverse approach promises improved dispersion, enhanced surface properties, and increased resistance to sintering and poisoning. The review explores the synthesis methods, structural characterization, mechanistic insights, and catalytic performance of inverse iron catalysts, comparing them with traditional systems. Finally, it addresses current challenges and outlines future directions in the development of sustainable and efficient ammonia synthesis technologies.},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Ammonia Synthesis over an Iron Catalyst with an Inverse Structure: A Comprehensive Review AU - Tsiye Tekleyohanis Hailemariam Y1 - 2025/08/13 PY - 2025 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajche.20251304.11 DO - 10.11648/j.ajche.20251304.11 T2 - American Journal of Chemical Engineering JF - American Journal of Chemical Engineering JO - American Journal of Chemical Engineering SP - 76 EP - 82 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2330-8613 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajche.20251304.11 AB - Ammonia synthesis is a cornerstone of the chemical industry, critical for fertilizer production and global food security. The Haber-Bosch process, relying heavily on iron-based catalysts, has been optimized over the decades. However, conventional catalysts still face limitations related to reaction conditions, energy efficiency, and catalyst deactivation. This review focuses on recent advances in inverse structured iron catalysts a novel configuration where the support encapsulates the active iron phase, reversing the conventional catalyst design. This inverse approach promises improved dispersion, enhanced surface properties, and increased resistance to sintering and poisoning. The review explores the synthesis methods, structural characterization, mechanistic insights, and catalytic performance of inverse iron catalysts, comparing them with traditional systems. Finally, it addresses current challenges and outlines future directions in the development of sustainable and efficient ammonia synthesis technologies. VL - 13 IS - 4 ER -
Department of Chemical Engineering, Debre Berhan University, Deber Berhan, Ethiopia
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