Ammonia: A Very Important Molecule For Biological Organisms To Make Proteins or Nucleic Acids

Ammonia
A very important molecule for biological organisms to make

proteins or nucleic acids
by Quazi Hasibul Hasan, and Niloy Kumar Das
Shahjalal Science & Technology University, Bangladesh
Molecule of the Month - June 2013
Introduction
Ammonia or azane is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH 3.
It is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent smell, which is very common in
toilets sometime. It is used in industry and commerce, and also exists naturally in
humans and in the environment. Ammonia is essential for many biological
processes and serves as a precursor for amino acid and nucleotide synthesis. In the
environment, ammonia is part of the nitrogen cycle and is produced in soil from
bacterial processes. Ammonia is also produced naturally from decomposition of
organic matter, including plants and animals.
Sal Ammoniacus
Sal ammoniac is a mineral composed of ammonium chloride. The Romans called
the ammonium chloride deposits they collected from near the Temple of Jupiter
Amun in ancient Libya 'sal ammoniacus' (salt of Amun) because of proximity to
the nearby temple. It is the earliest known mineral source of ammonia.
Fig: Sal ammoniac is a mineral
Guano & saltpeter

Later alternative sources of ammonia mineral were discovered. Guano and
saltpeter played valuable roleas strategic commodity. Guano consists of
ammonium oxalate and urate, phosphates, as well as some earth salts and
impurities. Guano also has a high concentration of nitrates. Saltpeter is the mineral
form of potassium nitrate (KNO3). Potassium and other nitrates are of great
importance for use in fertilizers, and, historically, gunpowder.
Fig: Guano is simply deposits of bird droppings
Independence from mineral dependency

Even though our atmosphere consists 78% nitrogen, atmospheric nitrogen is
nutritionally unavailable to plants or animals because nitrogen molecules are held
together by strong triple bonds. The demand and the desire to fix nitrogen to
make explosives, as well as fertilizers, led to the development of chemical
processes to produce ammonia. During 1910s Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch
developed the first practical process to synthesis ammonia from atmospheric
nitrogen. Prior to the discovery of the Haber process, ammonia had been difficult
to produce on an industrial scale, and related industries were completely dependent
on ammonia minerals.
Haber equation: N2 (g) + 3 H2(g) → 2NH3(g)
It is estimated that half of the protein within human beings is made of nitrogen that
was originally fixed by this process; the remainder was produced by nitrogen
fixing bacteria and archaea.
Picture: Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch
Ammonia in fertilizer
Half of the protein required to feed the world’s population is acquired from plant
sources, and nitrogen content in fertilizers directly influences a plant’s ability to
produce protein. Plants require nitrogen to produce this protein. Ammonia is the
only viable source of nitrogen for producing large amounts of protein. The nitrogen
content of fertilizers improves both the quantity and quality of protein-containing
crops. In addition to food production, nitrogen fertilizers are currently used to
produce the plants for ethanol fuel. Approximately 83% (as of 2004) of ammonia
is used as fertilizers either as its salts, solutions or anhydrously.
While ammonia can be applied directly to the soil as a liquid or reacted with
CO2 to produce urea ((NH2)2CO) fertilizer, a large percentage is converted to nitric
acid (HNO3) by the Ostwald Process which uses platinum gauze as a catalyst. The
nitric acid is then used to produce a variety of nitrate fertilizers including
ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), potassium nitrate (KNO3), and calcium nitrate
(Ca(NO3)2). Ammonia is also used to produce ammonium phosphate (NH 4PO4),
and ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4), which can also be used as fertilizers.
Fig: Urea
Precursor to nitrogenous compounds

Acids
Nitric acid (HNO3) is a highly toxic and corrosive acid which is produced by using
ammonia (NH3), air and water as feedstock. It is estimated that 80% of the nitric
acid produced worldwide is used as an intermediate in the production of
nitrogenous fertilizers where about 65% is used to make ammonia nitrate, and the
remaining 20% used in the explosive, plastics and chemical industries. These
alternative uses of nitric acid include:
 Silver and gold separation

 Military munitions
 Photoengraving
 Acidulation of phosphate rock
 Steel and brass pickling
 Production of nitrobenzene, dinitrotoluenes, and other chemical
intermediates, which can be utilized in the manufacture of explosives
Fig: Nitric acid
Explosives
The Nitro-Explosives are substances that have been nitrated. The manufacture of
the various nitro-explosives has made great advances during late years, and the
various forms of nitro-compounds are gradually replacing the older forms of
explosives, both for blasting purposes and also for propulsive agents, under the
form of smokeless powders. The nitro-explosives belong to the so-called High
Explosives, and may be defined as any chemical compound possessed of explosive
properties, or capable of combining with metals to form an explosive compound,
which is produced by the chemical action of nitric acid, either alone or mixed with
sulphuric acid, upon any carbonaceous substance, whether such compound is
mechanically mixed with other substances or not.
Fig: Mortar shell filled with TNT, TNT
Ammonia in refrigeration
Due to its interesting thermo-dynamic properties ammonia has been used for
decades in industrial style refrigeration. Apart from its toxic properties in case of
an accidental release, it is considered to be efficient, economical and
environmentally friendly because it does not deplete the ozone layer or contribute
to global warming, which is not the case for most other refrigerants.
Ammonia was first used as a refrigerant in the 1850s in France and was applied in
the United States in the 1860s for artificial ice production. The first patents for
ammonia refrigeration machines were filed in the 1870s. By the 1900s, ammonia
refrigeration machines were being commercially installed in block ice, food
processing, and chemical production facilities. By the 1920s, ammonia
refrigeration was being applied to ice rinks. During the 1930s, air conditioning
markets began to develop, first for industrial applications and then for human
comfort. The use of smaller units for domestic refrigerators increased substantially
between 1920 and 1930.
Recently, air conditioning provided by ammonia refrigeration systems has found

applications on college campuses and office parks, small scale buildings such as
convenience stores, and larger office buildings. These applications have been
achieved by using water chillers, ice thermal storage units, and district cooling
systems. In Europe, where regulatory regimes have encouraged new applications,
ammonia refrigeration systems are used safely for air conditioning in hospitals,
public buildings, airports, and hotels. Ammonia refrigeration provides air
conditioning for the International Space Station and Biosphere II.
Possible carrier of hydrogen

The use of ammonia as a fuel for internal combustion engines has been around at
least since the year 1935. A more extensive use of ammonia as a fuel was
undertaken on vehicles in Belgium in 1942.
Ammonia has a high octane rating (about 120 versus gasoline at 86-93). So it does
not need an octane enhancer and can be used in high compression
engines. However, it has a relatively low energy density per gallon – about half of
gasoline. The fuel mileage of ammonia is about half of gasoline’s mileage.
Liquid ammonia also fuelled the Reaction Motors XLR99 rocket engine that
powered the X-15 hypersonic research aircraft.
Ammonia and fuel cells
Hydrogen fuel cells take in hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2), produce electricity to
power the motor vehicle and emit water (H2O). Hydrogen is the most abundant
element in the universe but it is relatively rare in its elemental (H 2) form on
earth. Although hydrogen has high energy density by weight, it is the lightest of
all elements and requires large volumes to power a motor vehicle. So, elemental
hydrogen is difficult to store and transport. Hydrogen volumes can be reduced by
compressing it as either compressed hydrogen or liquid hydrogen. However, the
pressures required to do either of these are substantial and create a potential safety
hazard.
Ammonia is sometimes called the “other hydrogen” due to its structure of three
hydrogen molecules and one nitrogen molecule. The ability of ammonia gas to
become a liquid at low pressures means that it is a good “carrier” of
hydrogen. Liquid ammonia contains more hydrogen by volume than compressed
hydrogen or liquid hydrogen. For example, ammonia is over 50% more energy
dense per gallon than liquid hydrogen. So ammonia can be stored and distributed
easier than elemental hydrogen. Fueling stations are much easier to convert to
dispensing ammonia than elemental hydrogen. Ammonia could be stored onboard
a motor vehicle where the elemental hydrogen and nitrogen are separated just
before the hydrogen is fed into the fuel cell.
Role in biological world:

The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen is converted between its
various chemical forms. This transformation can be carried out through both
biological and physical processes.
Fig: Nitrogen (N2) cycle in which ammonia is recycled in one or another form
Reference:
 Encyclopedia Britannia
 Wikipedia

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Ammonia

A very important molecule for biological organisms to make

Guano & saltpeter

Independence from mineral dependency

Precursor to nitrogenous compounds

 Silver and gold separation

Recently, air conditioning provided by ammonia refrigeration systems has found

Possible carrier of hydrogen

Role in biological world:

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