The use of large amounts of solvents is an obstacle to the practical application of nitrogen fixation using transition metal complexes. Here catalytic ammonia synthesis is achieved by reacting dinitrogen (1 atm) with samarium diiodide and proton sources, including cellulose, in the presence of molybdenum catalysts under solvent-free ball-milling conditions.
- Shun Suginome
- Kurumi Murota
- Yoshiaki Nishibayashi