Abstract
There have been many investigations of the kinetics of the iron-catalysed synthesis of ammonia and the details of the mechanism of its reaction1–3. However, we report here the first direct and, therefore, unambiguous measurement of the surface structure sensitivity of the iron-catalysed ammonia synthesis reaction using the (111), (100) and (110) crystal faces of iron and operating at pressures approaching those used industrially (20 atmospheres). The Fe(111) face was found to be the most active, the activity ratio being 418:25:1 for the Fe(111), Fe(100) and Fe(110) planes. We have also observed the formation of a strongly bound nitrogen species after the reaction, in the presence of which ammonia continues to be produced.
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Spencer, N., Schoonmaker, R. & Somorjai, G. Structure sensitivity in the iron single-crystal catalysed synthesis of ammonia. Nature 294, 643–644 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/294643a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/294643a0
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