A practical method for ammonia synthesis is described. The reaction of atmospheric
pressure of nitrogen gas with samarium diiodide as a reducing reagent and water as
a proton source in the presence of a catalytic amount of a molybdenum trichloride
complex bearing a PCP [1,3-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl)benzimidazol-2-ylidene]-type pincer ligand occurs under ambient
conditions to afford ammonium sulfate after treatment with sulfuric acid.
Key words
ammonia - dinitrogen - molybdenum - samarium diiodide - water