A photocatalyst is described that is suitable for converting molecular nitrogen into ammonia. The photocatalyst comprises a layered base material comprising 1 to 100 layers, the layered base material being selected from the group consisting of molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, molybdenum telluride, tungsten telluride, molybdenum selenide and tungsten selenide, a layered base material comprising 1 to 100 layers, the layered base material being selected from the group consisting of molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, molybdenum telluride, tungsten telluride, molybdenum selenide and tungsten selenide, and 0.1-10.0% by weight, relative to the weight of the base material, of one or more Group VI, VII, VIII, IX or X transition metals. T he photocatalyst can further comprise 0.1-50.0% by weight, relative to the weight of the base material, of one or more semiconductor materials having an average particle size of 0.5-50.0 nm. The photocatalyst exhibits high catalytic efficiency without the need for high temperature and pressure. Also described is a process for the preparation of the photocatalyst, as well as uses of the photocatalyst for converting molecular nitrogen into ammonia.

The invention provides a method of continuous electrochemical dinitrogen reduction to produce ammonia, the method comprising: supplying dinitrogen to an electrochemical cell comprising an electrolyte in contact with at least a cathode; introducing protons to the electrolyte by anodic oxidation of a hydrogen-containing species; and cathodically reducing the dinitrogen in the presence of a metal selected from lithium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc, aluminium and vanadium to produce ammonia, wherein the electrolyte comprises a cationic proton carrier capable of reversible deprotonation to form a neutral proton acceptor, wherein the neutral proton acceptor is an ylide.

Improved methods of synthesizing ammonia from hydrogen sulfide and lithium nitrate are disclosed. Specifically, in a continuous cycle, hydrogen sulfide reactant is regenerated from the elemental sulfur that is extracted from a product of the ammonia synthesis, and the regenerated hydrogen sulfide is fed back into the ammonia synthesis reaction. The cycle that regenerates the hydrogen sulfide uses either a water-containing or a water and carbon-containing feedstock to facilitate the regeneration of the hydrogen sulfide from the elemental sulfur.

A methanol synthesis plant comprising: a feed pretreating section operable to pretreat a feed stream; a synthesis gas (syngas) generation section comprising one or more reactors operable to produce a syngas synthesis product stream comprising synthesis gas from the feed stream; a methanol synthesis section comprising one or more methanol synthesis reactors operable to produce a synthesis product comprising methanol; and/or a methanol purification section operable to remove at least one component from the synthesis product to provide a purified methanol product; wherein the methanol synthesis plant is configured such that, relative to a conventional methanol synthesis plant, more of the net energy required by the methanol synthesis plant, the feed pretreating section, the syngas generation section, the methanol synthesis section, the methanol purification section, or a combination thereof, is provided by a non-carbon based energy source, a renewable energy source, and/or electricity.

Disclosed is a system and method for preparing hydrogen chloride and ammonia gas by using ammonium chloride. The system includes a decomposition reactor and at least one regeneration reactor, or includes a reactor that may serve as the decomposition reactor and the regeneration reactor; ammonium chloride in particle form is continuously added to the decomposition reactor via a solid particle feed apparatus, and reacts with molten-state ammonium hydrogen sulfate to generate hydrogen chloride gas and an intermediate material; the intermediate material is discharged to the regeneration reactor, and heated therein to decompose into ammonium hydrogen sulfate and ammonia gas; and the ammonium hydrogen sulfate is returned to the decomposition reactor for recycling. The present disclosure provides an industrial feasible implementation solution for continuous decomposition of ammonium chloride, lowers volatilization of ammonium chloride by continuously and slowly adding ammonium chloride in particle form, and improves utilization rate of the ammonium chloride.

A method of removing inert gas dissolved in liquid ammonia involves evaporating, compressing, and then condensing the liquid ammonia together with the inert gas dissolved therein. Thereby, a product stream of warm liquid ammonia that has been freed of the inert gas is obtained, which is under elevated pressure relative to standard pressure and hence suitable for immediate use in methods in which pure liquid pressurized ammonia is required. If, by contrast, the ammonia is cooled first, for example, below the boiling temperature for ammonia and expanded to standard pressure to store it in tanks as liquid ammonia at low temperatures, it is necessary first to reheat and compress it for further processing operations. Thus the disclosed methods lead to significant energy savings.

A method for producing ammonia from nitrogen molecules, by supplying electrons from a power source, protons from a proton source, and nitrogen molecules from a device for supplying nitrogen gas, in the presence of a molecular catalyst and a solid catalyst at the cathode of a production apparatus that performs electrolysis. Regarding the molecular catalyst and the solid catalyst, bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium dichloride, for example, is used as the molecular catalyst, and a metal catalyst, an oxide catalyst, or a combination thereof is used as the solid catalyst.

A method for producing ammonia involves producing ammonia from molecular nitrogen in a production apparatus for performing electrolysis by supplying electrons from a power source, protons from a proton source and molecular nitrogen from a device for supplying a nitrogen gas while in the presence of a solid catalyst and a complex in a cathode. For example, a molybdenum complex represented by formula (A1) or formula (B2) as the complex, and a platinum catalyst or a platinum catalyst/gold catalyst combination as the solid catalyst are used.

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A ruthenium-copper (RuCu) nano-sponge (NSP) electrocatalyst for use in the electrolytic reduction of nitrogen to provide ammonia is described. The RuCu NSP can be prepared as a porous nanoparticle comprising a RuCu alloy via facile reduction of Ru and Cu precursors under ambient conditions. Electrodes prepared with surface disposed RuCu NSPs can be used to prepare ammonia from nitrogen with good yields and Faradaic efficiency at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.

There is disclosed a cyclic process for producing taurine from monoethanolamine comprising the steps of: (a) reacting monoethanolamine with ammonium sulfate in the recycling mother liquor to yield monoethanolamine sulfate; (b) reacting the monoethanolamine sulfate with sulfuric acid to form 2-aminoethyl hydrogen sulfate ester; (c) subjecting the 2-aminoethyl hydrogen sulfate ester to a sulfonation reaction with ammonium sulfite to yield taurine and ammonium sulfate; (d) separating the taurine and the ammonium sulfate by means of solid-liquid separation; (e) removing the excess ammonium sulfite from the mother liquor to obtain an aqueous solution comprised of ammonium sulfate and (f) returning the aqueous solution to step (a) to complete the cyclic process.