Atomic magnetism reveals why iron, but not chromium, can produce ammonia using sunlight

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Researchers at the University of Vienna and TU Wien found that iron-based catalysts can use sunlight to drive ammonia production, while replacing iron with chromium stops the reaction. Their study links the different catalytic behavior to the materials' atomic magnetism.

Two nearly identical materials have completely different chemical behavior. Research teams at the University of Vienna and TU Wien studied catalysts that use the energy of sunlight to produce ammonia. Surprisingly, when the three iron atoms that form tiny triangles in these catalysts are replaced by chromium atoms, the chemical reaction no longer takes place.