Spin-quenching cobalt center for efficient ammonia synthesis derived from oxide mixology

Nature Communications, Published online: 10 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76517-0 Spin polarization plays a pivotal role in heterogeneous catalysis, but the precise construction of active sites with tailored spin states remains challenging. Here, the authors regulate the oxide mixology of precursor materials to tune the spin polarization of ferromagnetic cobalt centers in nitride catalysts, providing new insights into spin effects in catalysis and a strategy for designing spintronic catalysts for ammonia synthesis.