A University of Iowa-led engineering research team is developing a new way to produce nitric acid using only air, water, and electricity. 

Nitric acid is an industrial chemical used to make fertilizers that support food production, explosives used in mining and construction, and countless manufactured products. Today, however, nitric acid production relies on large, centralized facilities and chemical supply chains that can be vulnerable to disruptions.

The Iowa-led project aims to change that.

“This project is about rethinking how we produce an essential chemical that touches everyday life,” said Zhe (Andy) Wang, assistant professor of chemical and biochemical engineering at the University of Iowa and principal investigator on the project.

The project has received initial funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Total funding for the project could reach $6.56 million over three years if DARPA exercises all options.

Researchers will develop a compact system that can produce nitric acid closer to where it is needed. The approach combines a low-temperature plasma technology that captures nitrogen from the air and makes it chemically reactive with light-driven catalysts that help convert it into nitric acid.

If successful, the technology could reduce dependence on large manufacturing plants and lengthy transportation networks. That could improve supply chain resilience, lower transportation costs, and make critical chemicals more readily available in remote locations or during emergencies.

The project, known as Plasmonic Enhanced Catalytic Air Nitrification (PECAN), is part of DARPA’s High-efficiency Nitrogen Oxidation (HNO3) program. Wang is leading the project with co-investigator Syed Mubeen, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering at Iowa. Iowa State University and RTX Technology Research Center are partnering institutions.