Harnessing the power of nano-adsorbents for sustainable ammonia economy

Abstract

Ammonia (NH₃) is a promising candidate in the energy revolution. However, its production involves energy-intensive NH₃ separation, and its application faces challenges due to leakage risks, storage pressure and toxicity. Adsorption science can address these challenges towards a more sustainable ammonia economy. Specially designed nano-adsorbents can efficiently separate or capture NH₃, reducing energy consumption in production processes. Utilizing nano-adsorbents for NH₃ storage enables significant vapor pressure reduction, allowing efficient and safe storage in public infrastructures. The synergistic integration of adsorption-desorption processes with a comprehensive energy utilization strategy unlocks the potential of refrigeration, heat pumps, and energy storage in the ammonia economy, thereby fostering a sustainable and efficient energy system. In this Review, we survey the adsorption mechanisms and design strategies of emerging NH₃ nano-adsorbents, and propose general principles for NH₃ adsorbent design. We envision future applications of adsorption-assisted ammonia energy system and investigate the implementation guidelines for these design strategies in different application scenarios.