The electrifying chemistry of the nitrogen cycle

Visit to access the extended video version of this episode and the episode summary sheet, which contains links to recent publications and additional content recommendations for our guest. You can also access the extended video version of this episode via our YouTube channel to hear, and see, more of the conversation! Visit and use the code PaoloRKS in July to register for your free Bringing Chemistry to Life T-shirt. Moving from a linear economy, where things are made, used and discarded, to a circular one, based on recycling and reuse, is one of the most important and difficult challenges for our society. Cracking this problem and moving to a more sustainable way of living, while maintaining or even improving living standards, is key for the future of our planet. With Matthew Liu, we go back to topics discussed in Episode 6 of Season 1 to look at one of the most important chemical elements, nitrogen. Reducing atmospheric nitrogen to nitrates is fundamental to our modern world. Nitrogen reduction makes possible to feed billions of people globally and it provides some of the most fundamental building blocks of modern chemistry. At the same time, it is one of the most energy-intense industrial processes, and its products, while essential and beneficial, eventually become environmental pollutants at the end of their lifecycle. An old technology might be the key to change this landscape. Electrochemistry is going through a renaissance and it’s a very promising tool to recover nitrogen and put it back into the economic circle. In our discussion with Matthew we discuss some breakthrough and novel electrochemical approaches, electrocatalysis in particular, and how they can impact the economy of developed and under-developed countries. We read every email so please share your questions and feedback with us! Email helloBCTL@thermofisher.com

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The electrifying chemistry of the nitrogen cycle is an episode from Bringing Chemistry to Life by Thermo Fisher Scientific.

This episode is 00:34:39 long.

This episode was published on Jun 28, 2023.

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