Ammoniate Compound Ammonia (NH3) Contains One Nitrogen Atom and Three Hydrogen Atoms

                                                                             Ammonia

Ammonia (NH3) is a chemical molecule made up of one nitrogen atom and three hydrogen atoms. It is most commonly found as a gas. It has a strong odour, is colourless, and is extremely soluble in water. Ammonia is required for numerous biological activities and acts as a precursor in the synthesis of amino acids and nucleotides. Ammonia is naturally formed in the environment by the breakdown of organic waste stuff. It is utilised in the industries of fertiliser, chemical, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, mining, fiber, and plastics. Natural gas and fuel oil are utilised as feedstock in the manufacturing of ammonia. Ammonia is a colourless, toxic gas with a pungent stench. It occurs naturally, mostly as a result of anaerobic degradation of plant and animal materials, and has also been identified in space. Some plants, primarily legumes, "fix" atmospheric nitrogen to make ammonia in collaboration with rhizobia bacteria.

The odour of ammonia has been known since prehistoric times. Famous chemists such as Joseph Black (Scotland), Peter Woulfe (Ireland). Claude Louis Berthelot, a French chemist, determined its elemental composition in 1785.Ammonia is commercially manufactured through the catalytic reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen at high temperatures and pressures. German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch invented the technique in 1909. Both were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their contributions, although in quite different years: Haber in 1918 and Bosch in 1931. The basic Haber-Bosch method is being used today.

The majority of ammonia production (85%) is used directly or indirectly in agriculture. Chemical fertilisers derived from ammonia include urea, ammonium phosphate, ammonium nitrate, and various nitrates. Other important molecules derived from ammonia include nitric acid, hydrazine, cyanides, and amino acids. Ammonia was once a popular refrigerant. It has mostly been superseded by chlorofluorocarbons and hydro chlorofluorocarbons, both of which are under environmental scrutiny. Ammonia is most commonly found in glass cleaners. Ammonia is very soluble in water; its exact solubility varies with temperature (see fast facts). Aqueous ammonia is also known as ammonium hydroxide, however that molecule cannot be isolated. When ammonia is utilised as a ligand in coordination complexes, it is referred to as "ammine."

Ammonia is derived from fossil fuels and hence is not a "green" product, despite its extensive use in agriculture. However, environmentally friendly ammonia may be on the horizon if the hydrogen is produced through other ways, such as wind or solar-powered water electrolysis. Ammonia can be used as a fuel in conventional engines. According to a study conducted by the catalyst business Haldor Topsoe (Kongens Lyngby, Denmark), replacing traditional ship fuels with green ammonia would be cost-effective and eliminate a large source of greenhouse gases. It has the potential to be employed in aircraft fuels as well. Ammonia could be combined with conventional fuels during the transition period.