image: Texas A&M University Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Dr. Abdoulaye Djire
Credit: Texas A&M University Engineering
Dr. Abdoulaye Djire, an assistant professor from the Department of Chemical Engineering, has been awarded the Army Research Office (ARO) Early Career Program (ECP) Award for his research in electrochemical ammonia production.
This ECP grant from the ARO, a directorate of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory, will fund Djire’s project on electrochemical ammonia synthesis using 2D nanostructured nitride MXenes (MNenes) for military and societal uses. The grant will fund this research for three years in the amount of $360K.
According to DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, the objective of the ECP is to attract outstanding early career university faculty members to pursue fundamental research in areas relevant to the Army, to support their research in these areas and to encourage their teaching and research careers.
This competitive award will support the Army Research Library (ARL) mission of assisting institutions of higher education.
“I consider myself very lucky to lead such an amazing and talented research group of postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students,” Djire said. “Texas A&M is truly the frontier of cutting-edge research and discovery of the 21st century and I consider myself extremely lucky to play a role in it.”
“The importance of ammonia (NH3) in various industries, particularly in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, cannot be overstated,” Djire said. “Its role in fertilizers alone has significantly impacted food production and global food security, sustaining billions of lives.”
The current method of producing ammonia, the Haber-Bosch process, releases CO2 into the atmosphere and consumes about two percent of the world’s energy, according to Djire. The Haber-Bosch process emits more CO2 than any other chemical-making reaction.
“This proposal will fill the current knowledge gaps in electrochemical ammonia synthesis by synthesizing and characterizing 2D nitride MXenes (MNenes) for electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR).” Djire said. “A central hypothesis is that the strength of the metal-nitrogen (M-N) bond governs the degree of lattice protonation to form ammonia.”
Djire’s electrochemical approach is innovative and transformative and will ensure the continued availability of ammonia without the emission of carbon dioxide emission. The crux of this innovation is the discovery of new electrocatalysts with a combination of high conductivity, surface area and tunability.
“We will offer comprehensive guidelines for designing and synthesizing efficient electrocatalysts for the electrochemical NRR,” Djire said. “These catalysts will facilitate the electrochemical synthesis of NH3, urea and other organonitrogen compounds.”
Djire believes that this research will not only bolster the economy and military capabilities of the United States but will also position the United States as a leader in these emerging technologies.
“This is one of the most prestigious honors bestowed on a junior faculty in the United States,” Djire said. “I’m deeply humbled to receive it. This recognition is all thanks to the Discovery Journey to Innovative and Renewable Energy group at Texas A&M.”
By Raven Wuebker, Texas A&M Engineering
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