Abstract

Iron plays a central role in the two major processes that convert nitrogen in the atmosphere to fertilizers needed for the food on our plates. The enzyme nitrogenase uses an iron-sulfur cluster, while the Haber-Bosch process uses a solid iron catalyst. Despite intense research, the catalytic mechanisms are not understood at an atomic level of detail. We will discuss how advances in the synthesis of low-coordinate iron coordination compounds have led to new insights into both processes. These have included the first iron complexes with in which the nitrogen-nitrogen bond of N₂ is broken, as well as biomimetic systems. These new research results help chemists to understand elementary steps in the conversion of N₂ to ammonia, and the talk will highlight parallels between solution, enzyme, and surface chemistry.