Ammonia (NH₃)
The molecule that turns the atmosphere into fertiliser
Summary
Ammonia (NH₃) is a pyramid-shaped molecule in which one nitrogen atom is surrounded by three hydrogen atoms. It is the main raw material for the synthetic fertilisers that underpin modern agriculture; about half of the world's population is fed thanks to ammonia fertilisers.
In depth
The geometry of the ammonia molecule is a trigonal pyramid: nitrogen at the top, three hydrogens at the base. The lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen makes the molecule polar and gives it basic properties (in water it gives NH₄⁺ + OH⁻). The Haber-Bosch process, developed by Fritz Haber in 1909 and then by Carl Bosch, combined atmospheric N₂ (78% of the air) with hydrogen to make NH₃, connecting agriculture to an unlimited source of nitrogen. Its effect on food production is so great that about half of the nitrogen atoms in your body have passed through the Haber process.
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