Scientists develop microrobots that use light to produce ammonia - a sustainable carbon-free energy carrier

The innovative approach, presented by a research team led by Professor Martin Pumera and supported by postdoctoral fellow Apabrita Mallick within the MSCA-CZ programme, could pave the way to greener and more energy-efficient chemical production processes of the future.
While conventional methods of ammonia production, such as the Haber-Bosch process, require significant amounts of fossil fuel energy, the newly developed microrobots operate under normal conditions and use light as an energy source. "Our microrobots reduce nitrate to ammonia in a sustainable way and do not require high temperature or pressure. Thanks to their built-in magnetic properties, we can easily control them remotely using an external magnetic field and efficiently remove them from the reaction solution," explains Professor Martin Pumera. With external magnetic control, the microrobots improve chemical mixing, resulting in significantly higher ammonia yields compared to stationary catalysts. "In addition to a cleaner way of producing ammonia, this process also contributes to solving environmental problems. In polluted waters, we can convert harmful nitrates into useful ammonia," recalls Professor Pumera.
Compared to hydrogen (H2), ammonia (NH3) serves as a carbon-free hydrogen carrier with high energy density, lower storage costs and higher safety in storage and transport, making it a very promising clean energy carrier and energy storage medium.
This breakthrough technology, published in the prestigious journal Small, highlights the huge potential of microrobotics in the green energy sector. From more sustainable fertiliser production to advanced applications in areas such as fuel and chemical production, microrobots could become a key element for future generations of green technologies.

Citation: Mallick, Kim, Pumera, Small 2025
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/smll.202407050

Photo: Scientists Jeonghyo Kim a Apabrita Mallick z výzkumné skupiny ADVANCED NANOROBOTS AND MULTISCALE ROBOTICS LAB.