Simonneau Lab

Research focus

ERC Starting Grant · 2017

Organic Functionalisation of N2 Using Metal-Main Group and Metal-Metal Cooperativity

Activation and transformation of dinitrogen (N2) into other nitrogen-containing compounds is a challenge for chemists due to the inertness of this molecule. The well-established Haber-Bosch process allows transformation of dinitrogen into ammonia (NH3) at the industrial scale through heterogeneous catalysis, but it is an energy-demanding process (1-2% of the World's annual energy consumption). The ammonia thus produced is almost totally converted into more value-added chemicals. Similarly, in Nature, the nitrogenase enzymes are able to convert N2 into NH3 catalytically, spending a high amount of energy to produce a molecule which is subsequently transformed into amino-acids or nucleotides.…

From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.