Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has achieved a significant milestone in clean energy research with a novel approach to ammonia decomposition. Researchers led by Prof Zhichuan J. Xu from NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering have harnessed the power of electron spin alignment—dubbed a 'magnetic twist'—to dramatically improve the efficiency of extracting hydrogen from ammonia. This innovation addresses a longstanding bottleneck in making ammonia a practical hydrogen carrier, positioning NTU at the forefront of sustainable energy solutions for Singapore and beyond.

Why Ammonia Stands Out as a Hydrogen Carrier

Hydrogen is pivotal for decarbonizing sectors like power generation, shipping, and heavy industry, but its low density and cryogenic storage requirements pose major hurdles for transport and storage. Enter ammonia (NH₃), a compound with hydrogen content of 17.6% by weight that liquefies at mild conditions (-33°C at atmospheric pressure), far easier than hydrogen's -253°C. Globally, ammonia production exceeds 180 million tonnes annually, mostly for fertilizers, providing a ready infrastructure.

In Singapore, ammonia's role aligns perfectly with the nation's import-dependent energy needs. The National Hydrogen Strategy outlines ammonia as the primary hydrogen carrier, targeting imports for power and maritime use. By 2050, hydrogen could meet 50% of electricity demand via gas turbines, with ammonia cracking enabling on-site hydrogen production. NTU's breakthrough enhances this pathway, reducing energy losses that plague traditional cracking methods.

The Stubborn Challenge of Ammonia Decomposition

Releasing hydrogen from ammonia involves cracking NH₃ → 1.5H₂ + 0.5N₂, an endothermic process historically requiring high temperatures (500-900°C) and catalysts like nickel or ruthenium. Energy penalties reach 20-40%, eroding round-trip efficiency. The core issue lies in the nitrogen-nitrogen (N-N) dimerization step: nitrogen intermediates (*NH_x) must couple, but face high energy barriers (over 1 eV), leading to sluggish kinetics and side reactions.

Decades of tweaks—altering catalyst composition, morphology, or promoters—yielded marginal gains. Thermal cracking remains dominant but inefficient for decentralized use. Electrochemical methods promise lower temperatures but suffer similar dimerization woes, with overpotentials limiting faradaic efficiency below 80% in many setups.

NTU's Magnetic Twist: Harnessing Electron Spin

Prof Xu's team introduced a paradigm shift: manipulating electron spins on the catalyst surface using magnetism. Electrons possess intrinsic spin (up or down, like tiny magnets), and aligning them cooperatively lowers the N-N coupling barrier. Using cobalt-platinum (Co/Pt) thin-film catalysts with tunable magnetic domains, an external magnetic field or intrinsic magnetization orients spins, favoring parallel alignment for intermediates.

This 'cooperative spin alignment' mimics quantum effects in magnetism, where ferromagnetism stabilizes favorable spin states. As detailed in their Nature Chemistry publication (DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-01900-1, August 2025), the approach boosts ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR) activity without raising temperature or pressure.

Step-by-Step: How the Innovation Works

The process unfolds on the magnetized Co/Pt surface:

• Adsorption and Activation: NH₃ adsorbs, dehydrogenates to *NH_x intermediates.
• Spin Polarization: Catalyst magnetism polarizes electron spins of *NH_x, preferring parallel configurations.
• Dimerization: N-NH coupling proceeds with reduced barrier (verified via nudged elastic band calculations), forming *N₂H_y.
• Desorption: N₂ releases; H⁺ and e^- drive H₂ evolution at cathode.
• Cycle Completion: Overall AOR: NH₃ → 0.5N₂ + 3H⁺ + 3e^-, yielding pure H₂.

In situ soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (sXAS) at Australian Synchrotron confirmed spin-sensitive species, with density functional theory (DFT) quantifying barrier drops.

Photo by Rick Rothenberg on Unsplash

The Minds Behind the Breakthrough: Prof Jason Xu and Team

Prof Zhichuan J. Xu, President's Chair and Director of NTU's Centre of Excellence in Maritime Energy & Sustainable Development (MESD), leads with expertise in electrocatalysis. His group has pioneered spin effects in water splitting. Co-first authors Dr Zhu Siyuan and Dr Wu Qian bridged materials science, magnetism, and catalysis. The team includes NTU PhD students Chencheng Dai, Anke Yu, Tianze Wu, Xiaoning Li, and international collaborators.

"For decades, improvements focused on catalyst makeup. Our work reveals electron spin as a key lever," says Prof Xu. Funded by Singapore's National Research Foundation (NRF) and A*STAR, it exemplifies NTU's role in national priorities. See NTU's full announcement.

Performance Gains and Validation

Experiments showed magnetization-enhanced AOR, with spin-aligned catalysts outperforming non-magnetic ones. Theoretical models predicted lowest barriers for N-NH coupling under aligned moments. Figures in the paper depict sXAS spectra, DFT energies, and magnetic domains. While exact faradaic efficiencies await scale-up data, the precedent suggests 20-30% potential savings over thermal cracking.

This builds on NTU's prior feats, like ammonia cracker-integrated solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) demonstrated in 2025, achieving high efficiency via heat recovery.

Singapore's Hydrogen Ambitions and NTU's Pivotal Role

Singapore's National Hydrogen Strategy earmarks S$129 million for cracking tech, targeting ammonia imports by 2026 for power and bunkering. As a maritime hub handling 140,000 vessel calls yearly, efficient H₂ supply is crucial for net-zero 2050.

NTU drives this via MESD and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N), collaborating with Imperial College on fuel cells. The spintronics breakthrough accelerates electrochemical crackers, ideal for compact, low-emission setups in land-scarce Singapore.

Global Ripples: Redefining Clean Hydrogen Production

Beyond Singapore, the method applies to O-O coupling in oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for green H₂. With ammonia trade projected at 500 million tonnes by 2050, efficient cracking unlocks terawatts of clean power. Prof Xu's prior spin-OER work (Nature Catalysis) underscores versatility.

Stakeholders—from ports to grids—gain actionable insights: integrate magnetic catalysts for 10-20% efficiency lifts, per analogous studies.

NTU's Ecosystem Fostering Such Innovations

NTU ranks top globally in materials science (QS 2026: #1 young uni), with MSE attracting President's Chairs like Prof Xu. Facilities like synchrotron access and A*STAR ties enable breakthroughs. For aspiring researchers, NTU offers PhD programs in sustainable energy, aligning with Singapore's talent push.

Photo by Rick Rothenberg on Unsplash

Looking Ahead: Scale-Up and Commercial Horizons

Next steps: prototype electrochemical crackers for maritime trials. Partnerships with A*STAR and industry could deploy by 2030, supporting Singapore's green shipping corridor. Challenges remain—durability under flux—but spin design principles guide iterations.

This NTU ammonia hydrogen carrier breakthrough exemplifies how quantum insights propel practical sustainability, inviting global collaboration.