Nitrogen: connecting past with present

Abstract

Gaseous nitrogen —the major component of air— has played a decisive role in humanity’s economic, social and political development, as it is crucial for the synthesis of ammonia. In 1908, the chemist Fritz Haber became the first person to synthesize ammonia in a laboratory, marking a new milestone in chemistry. This achievement led to a revolution in productive activities with fully opposite uses. For example, the process allowed manufacturing fertilizers, which clearly had a knock-on effect on food production, and therefore population growth. By contrast, the manufacture of explosives for military purposes also underwent a radical change. Nevertheless, although the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen was the solution for many problems in the early 20th century, it is remarkable that the world’s population still depends on it. No feasible, sustainable replacement has been found, and its environmental ramifications will have to be addressed sooner rather than later. The objective of this article is to highlight the contradictions and the pros and cons that arose from the ammonia synthesis along history.