Iron Catalysts Use Hydrogen Bonds to Convert Nitrate Pollution into Ammonia
University of Michigan researchers have developed a bioinspired iron catalyst that uses secondary-sphere hydrogen bonds to bind and reduce nitrate, a persistent groundwater pollutant. By mimicking biological nitrate transport proteins, the catalyst achieves up to seven orders of magnitude higher binding affinity for nitrate compared to non-hydrogen-bonding analogues. This activation allows for the catalytic reduction of nitrate into nitric oxide under thermal conditions or ammonia under photochemical conditions, offering a potential pathway for converting environmental pollutants into useful fertilizers.