Lattice Energy LLC - Beyond the Haber-Bosch Process for Ammonia Production - April 30 2015

April 30, 2015 Lattice Energy LLC, Copyright 2015, All rights reserved 1
Lattice Energy LLC
Commercializing a next-generation source of green nuclear energy
Beyond the Haber-Bosch process for ammonia production:
Fixing Nitrogen at near-ambient temperatures and pressures
Contact: 1-312-861-0115
lewisglarsen@gmail.com
http://www.slideshare.net/lewisglarsen/presentations
Lewis G. Larsen
President and CEO
Lattice Energy LLC
April 30, 2015
Create and modulate very high electric fields in catalytically active sites
N2 molecule
Strong triple bond
"Nitrogenase" by Jjsjjsjjs -
Own work. Licensed under
CC BY-SA 3.0 via
Wikimedia Commons
May 5, 2015: have added 4 new slides and modified some of the text on others to improve clarity
N2 is inert

Summary
Opportunity: competitive small-scale production of low cost ammonia
 High-temp, high-pressure Haber-Bosch process has dominated the commercial
production of anhydrous ammonia for over 100 years; its cost is closely tied to
economics of available supplies of input natural gas that are slowly dwindling
 Haber-Bosch is arguably the most important industrial chemical process on
Earth; 40% of world’s people are alive today thanks to affordable cost and wide
availability of ammonia-based fertilizers; production facilities are typically large
 Recent advances in advanced materials science, nanotechnology, chemistry,
enzymology, and many-body collective condensed matter physics have created
a new opportunity to develop commercial Nitrogen fixation processes that can
operate at near-ambient temperatures and pressures and utilize natural gas, or
alternatively water, as a source of Hydrogen to react with gaseous Nitrogen, N2
 Based on its LENR work, Lattice has developed a unique body of valuable
proprietary insights into catalysis that directly applies to this opportunity
 Successful development of new lower-cost Nitrogen fixation technologies that
go far beyond the 1909 Haber-Bosch process could sever today’s ~ obligatory
linkage between low-cost natural gas and $ competitive ammonia production;
further reduce manufacturing costs (high temps and pressures unnecessary);
and enable commercialization of new types of smaller, CO2 emission-free, lower-
CAPEX ammonia plants that are globally $ competitive for distributed production

Contents
Periodic Table of the elements and Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs …………. 4 - 5
Haber-Bosch process: abiotic commercial Nitrogen fixation ………................ 6 - 8
Nitrogenase enzyme: biological Nitrogen fixation ……….………………………... 9 - 12
Large E-fields >1010 V/m link enzymes, catalysts and LENRs ……………...…… 13 - 14
Widom-Larsen theory of low energy neutron reactions (LENRs) ………………. 15 - 23
Chemical and LENR realms interoperate in active sites …………………………. 24
LENR transmutation of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Oxygen ………………………….. 25 - 26
LENRs occur in the environs of Earth ……………………….…………………..….. 27 - 28
LENRs can mimic chemical isotopic fractionation processes ……………..….. 29 - 33
Enzyme active sites dynamically create huge local electric fields ………….... 34
New breakthrough in Nitrogen fixation under ambient conditions …………….. 35 - 36
High electric fields in active site of Nitrogenase could make neutrons ………. 37 - 38
Experimental data where LENRs may be accompanying fractionation …….… 39
Anomalies in global Nitrogen cycle: the mystery of ‘missing’ Nitrogen ………. 40 - 41
Lattice’s R&D strategy for going beyond Haber-Bosch ………………………….. 42
Additional references …………………………………………………..………………. 43
Working with Lattice …………………………………………………………………….. 44
Closing quote: Thomas Hager (2008) ………………………………………………… 45

+ e-
sp g e-*sp + p+ g n0 + νe
n0 + (Z, A) g (Z, A+1)
(Z, A+1) g (Z + 1, A+1) + eβ
- + νe
Star-like nucleosynthesis also occurs in planetary environments
Thanks to Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs we now know otherwise
Most assume elements only created in Big Bang and stars
4
Electroweak neutron n0 production
Neutron capture
Beta decay
LENR transmutations proceed left-to-right across rows
EnergyE-field
Z = atomic number A = atomic mass
Atomic
number
Atomic
mass

Living systems use subset of elements in Periodic Table
O (~65%), C (~19%), H (~10), N (~3%) comprise ~97% of total biomass
Metallic trace elements commonly serve as cofactors in active sites of enzymes
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2012/mt/c2mt90041f/unauth#!divAbstract
Source: Editorial, Wolfgang Maret
“Metallomics: whence and whither”
Metallomics 4 pp. 1017 - 1019 (2012)
Any of these elements can potentially capture neutrons and undergo LENR transmutation

Global elemental Nitrogen cycles between various reservoirs
Gaseous atmospheric Nitrogen (N2) molecule has strong triple bond
Triple bond must be broken (fixed) to make Nitrogen chemically reactive
Adapted from source: http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/N/NitrogenCycle.html
Haber-Bosch
process
Nitrogenase
enzyme
Abiotic industrial N2 g NH3 via Haber-Bosch; biotic N2 g NH3 via Nitrogenase

Haber-Bosch process preeminently used to fix Nitrogen
Invented in Germany in 1909 and dominated global market ever since
Nitrogen and Hydrogen are reacted with a Fe catalyst to make usable ammonia
Adapted from source: http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/equilibria/haber.html
N2
CH4
H2
NH3
Fecat
mostly methane
heat
NH3
Reactor
Unreacted
gases
Chemical reactions:
Fritz Haber Carl Bosch
N2 + 3H2 g 2NH3 (ammonia)(natural gas) CH4 + 2H2O g 4H2 + CO2 followed by:

Largest Haber-Bosch ammonia-urea plant in the world
“Enven” facility owned by Engro Corp. and located in Daharki, Pakistan
Plant’s inputs are Hydrogen (from natural gas), Nitrogen (extracted from air), and lots of energy
Cost = US$ 1.1 billion; commissioned in 2010
Production capacity = 1.3 million metric tons/yr. or ~ 3,500 mt/day

Bacteria can fix Nitrogen: produce NH3 like Haber-Bosch
Use the Nitrogenase enzyme to vastly reduce temps, pressure, and size
Graphic source: quarkology.com
Burrup ammonia plant (Australia)
Haber-Bosch uses Iron (Fe) catalyst to fix N2
~100feet
Adapted from graphic source: Wikipedia
Cyanobacteria use Nitrogenase enzyme to fix N2
~5microns=
1.6x10-6feet
Single isolated Cyanobacterium
450o C and 200 atm
23o C and 1 atm
Nitrogenase

Nitrogenase is the only enzyme in Nature that can fix N2
Converts triple bonded Nitrogen molecule into chemically usable NH3
Unlike the Haber-Bosch process, enzyme fixes Nitrogen at low temps/pressures
 Only family of enzymes in Nature able to break (fix)
strong N2 triple bond to make usable ammonia (NH3)
 Higher organisms can’t do this; this enzyme found
only in green sulfur bacteria, azotobacteria, and
symbiotic diazotrophs that --- among other things ---
live in association with roots and nodules in plants
(soybeans for example); diverse diazotroph group
includes Rhizobia, Frankias, and cyanobacteria
 Molybdenum (Mo) cation in active site is critical to
catalysis; less proficient variants of this enzyme
substitute Vanadium (V) or Iron (Fe) for Mo in site
 General consensus amongst researchers that key
details of catalytic process in enzyme’s active site
not completely understood; FeMo cofactor is crucial
Nitrogenase structure
Roughly10nanometers
Activesiteregion
Energy needed to drive reactions comes from ATP; no CO2 produced

Nitrogenase enzyme has a complex molecular structure
Most common form of enzyme in Nature has Molybdenum in active site
Mo-nitrogenase version exhibits highest rates of catalytic activity and proficiency
https://rfh3.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/nitrogenase.pdf
Figure is from R. Hilliard’s PowerPoint titled “(di) Nitrogen fixation in Cyanobacteria” (2014)

Nitrogenase’s active site is still not completely understood
Most common form of enzyme in Nature has Molybdenum in active site
Mo-nitrogenase version exhibits highest rates of catalytic activity and proficiency
Source: Journal of Biological Chemistry (2004) Source: SLAC (2015)
Active site structure in 2015Active site structure as known in 2004
Roughly9-12Angstroms

Large E-fields >1010 V/m link enzymes, catalysts & LENRs
Electric fields and Q-M effects enable chemical & electroweak catalysis
Statement by P. Hildebrandt re Fried et al.’s paper recently published in Science:
 As explained in our published Widom-Larsen theory papers, the enormous catalytic
proficiency (rate of e + p g neutron + ν reaction is increased from spontaneous uncatalyzed
rate of 10-44 up to >109 cm2/sec) of electroweak LENR catalysis is enabled by many-body
collective electromagnetic and quantum mechanical (Q-M) interactions between entangled
protons (Hydrogens) and electrons (surface plasmon and π) which create attoseconds of
nanoscale local electric fields >2.5 x 1011 V/m; fields enable vast increases in rates of ultra
low energy neutron production which controls rates of transmutation and energy releases
 Thanks to work of Fried et al. (Science 346 pp. 1510 - 1514, 2014), we now know that time-
averaged Å-scale local electric fields > 1010 V/m exist inside the active site of at least one
isomerase enzyme and are responsible for most (est. 70%) of its high catalytic proficiency;
they also found that E-field effects on C=O bond stretching increase linearly with local
electric field strength - like Hildebrandt, we think this applies to abiotic chemical catalysis
 We theorize that the physics of both biological enzymatic and abiotic chemical catalysis
are very similar to electroweak e + p catalysis in that extremely high local electric fields on
length-scales from 2 - 3 Å up to ~100 μ are crucial to high proficiency and that such fields
are enabled by mutual many-body collective E-M and Q-M effects between electrons and
protons in active sites; follows that LENR and chemical processes may interoperate therein
“It is very likely that the electric field-dependent acceleration of elementary reactions is a
general concept in biological catalysis and perhaps also in chemical catalysis …” P.H.

Large E-fields >1010 V/m link enzymes, catalysts & LENRs
Comparison of key parameters for chemical and electroweak catalysis
Parameter Characteristics of catalytically active sites that greatly increase reaction rates
Energy scale Nuclear catalysis - keV up to multiple MeVs Chemical catalysis - to several eVs or thereabouts
Condensed matter system Widom-Larsen electroweak e + p catalysis Biological enzymes Metallic industrial
Are extremely high local electric
fields important?
Yes, it is crucial to electroweak catalysis of
LENRs in condensed matter at ~STP
Yes, see Fried et al.
Science (2014)
Yes
Are many-body collective
quantum effects important?
Yes, it is crucial to electroweak catalysis of
LENRs in condensed matter at ~STP
Yes, see Herschlag et al.,
Biochem. (2013)
Yes
Is quantum mechanical
entanglement of protons
(Hydrogen) important?
Yes, adsorbed H in surface active sites and
H on aromatic rings that rest on surfaces,
including metals, fullerenes, graphene
Yes, see Wang et al.
PNAS (2014)
Yes, H adsorbed on
surfaces or at
interfaces
Quantum mechanical
entanglement of electrons?
Yes, amongst surface plasmons on metals
and π electrons on aromatic rings
Yes, π electrons on
Carbon aromatic rings
Yes, with surface
plasmons and ring π
Any deadly MeV-energy gamma
emissions?
None: heavy-mass electrons convert γ to
safe infrared per US Patent #7,893,414 B2
None None
Any deadly MeV-energy
neutron emissions?
None: almost all are captured locally; see
paper: Widom & Larsen EPJC (2006)
None None
Extreme specificity for
reactants and products?
Yes, e + p or e + d or e + t g
[1, 2, or 3] n + νe (neutron, neutrino)
Yes, extremely
Somewhat; can vary
greatly
Is catalytically active site
conserved and reusable?
No, exists for ~200 to 400 nanoseconds and
then Q-M coherence thermally destroyed
Yes, essentially
unchanged and viable
Mostly, for a while
Are species of chemical
elements conserved in catalytic
process?
No, relative isotopic ratios of stable
elements can shift; species and quantities
of chemical elements present can change
Yes, all species of chemical elements are fully
conserved, i.e. do not change; when measurable,
isotopic shifts should always mass-balance

Widom-Larsen theory of low energy neutron reactions
Explain the absence of deadly energetic neutron and gamma radiation
Many-body collective effects enable electroweak catalysis in condensed matter
“Ultra low momentum neutron catalyzed nuclear reactions on metallic
hydride surfaces” Rigorously explains e + p reaction in condensed matter
A. Widom and L. Larsen
European Physical Journal C - Particles and Fields 46 pp. 107 - 112 (2006)
http://www.slideshare.net/lewisglarsen/widom-and-larsen-ulm-neutron-
catalyzed-lenrs-on-metallic-hydride-surfacesepjc-march-2006
“A primer for electro-weak induced low energy nuclear reactions”
Y. Srivastava, A. Widom, and L. Larsen Summary of W-L theory to date
Pramana - Journal of Physics 75 pp. 617 - 637 (2010)
http://www.ias.ac.in/pramana/v75/p617/fulltext.pdf
“Theoretical Standard Model rates of proton to neutron conversions near
metallic hydride surfaces” Reaction rate calculations agree with experiments
A. Widom and L. Larsen
Cornell physics preprint arXiv:nucl-th/0608059v2 12 pages (2007)
http://arxiv.org/pdf/nucl-th/0608059v2.pdf

Summary of key steps that occur in electroweak catalysis of neutrons
W-L theory posits that LENRs are a multi-step process
Five-step hard-radiation-free process occurs in 200 - 400 nanoseconds or less
1. Collectively oscillating, quantum mechanically entangled, many-body patches
of hydrogen (protons or deuterons) form spontaneously on metallic surfaces
2. Born-Oppenheimer approximation spontaneously breaks down, allows E-M
coupling between local surface plasmon electrons and patch protons; enables
application of input energy to create nuclear-strength local electric fields > 2.5
x 1011 V/m - increases effective masses of sites’ surface plasmon electrons
3. Heavy-mass surface plasmon electrons formed in many-body active sites can
react directly with electromagnetically interacting protons; process creates
neutrons and benign neutrinos via a collective electroweak e + p reaction
4. Neutrons collectively created in sites have ultra-low kinetic energies; almost all
absorbed by nearby atoms - few neutrons escape into environment; locally
produced or ambient gammas converted directly into infrared photons by
unreacted heavy electrons (US# 7,893,414 B2) - no deadly gamma emissions
5. Transmutation of atoms of locally present elements is induced at active sites

Electroweak reaction in Widom-Larsen theory is simple
Protons or deuterons react directly with electrons to make neutrons
W-L explains how e + p reactions occur at substantial rates in condensed matter
EnergyE-field + e-
sp g e-*sp + p+ g n0 + νe
Collective many-body quantum effects:
many electrons each transfer little bits
of energy to a much smaller number of
electrons also bathed in the very same
extremely high local electric field
Quantum electrodynamics (QED): smaller number of
electrons that absorb energy directly from local electric
field will increase their effective masses (m = E/c2)
above key thresholds β0 where they can react directly
with a proton (or deuteron) neutron and neutrino
νe neutrinos: ghostly unreactive particles that fly-off into space; n0 neutrons capture on nearby atoms
Neutrons + atomic nuclei heavier elements + decay products
Induce transmutation
Draw energy from electric fields > 2.5 x1011 V/m Heavy-mass e-* electrons react directly with protons

e-* + p+ g n + νe
e- + p+ g lepton + X
Electroweak nuclear reactions produce neutrons (n) and neutrinos (νe)
Electrons react directly with protons to make neutrons and neutrinos
Radiation-free green transmutations in mild conditions
Reactions are ‘green’: no deadly emissions of energetic neutrons and gammas
n + (Z, A) g (Z, A+1)
(Z, A+1) g (Z + 1, A+1) + eβ
- + νe
Unstable neutron-rich products of neutron captures will undergo beta- decay
Can create heavier stable isotopes/elements along rows of Periodic Table
Non-stellar neutron production in condensed matter under mild conditions:
Transmutation of elements and star-like nucleosynthesis in labs and Nature:
Electric fields dominate
Magnetic fields dominate
Neutron capture
Beta decay
Neutron capture-
driven transmutation
in Earthly environs
Collective many-body
processes require
external input energy

Nanostructures can be antennas that absorb E-M energy
SP electrons on nanoparticles can greatly intensify local electric fields
Nanostructures can be designed to briefly create pulsed E-fields > 2.5 x 1011 V/m
E-M
beam
photons
Sharp tips can exhibit
“lightning rod effect” with
large increases in local E-M
fields Region of
enhanced
electric
fields
http://people.ccmr.cornell.edu/~uli/res_optics.htm
Source of above image is Wiesner Group at Cornell University:
“Plasmonic dye-sensitized solar cells using core-shell metal-
insulator nanoparticles" M. Brown et al., Nano Letters 11 pp. 438
- 445 (2011) http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nl1031106
Graphics show capture of E-M photons and energy transfer by SP electrons

Nanostructures of right shapes/compositions amplify electric fields
Huge increase in local E-field strengths on nanoscale
Details of nanoparticulate features on nm to μ length-scales very key to LENRs
Shows E-M field strength enhancement
as a function of interparticle spacing
Electric field enhancement
at nano-antenna tip:
R. Kappeler et al. (2007)
Sharp tips exhibit so-called “lightning
rod effect” by creating enormous local
enhancement in electric field strengths
Mandelbrot fractal
Certain juxtapositions of tiny metallic
nanoparticles at surfaces or interfaces
can create local electric fields > 1011 V/m
108 x with
2 nm gap
1011 x
increase
1 nm = 10
Angstroms
Electric fields at tips of
atomic force microscopes
(AFM) often reach 1011 V/m

Nanoparticle shapes/positioning redistribute E-fields
Fang & Huang’s Figs. 1 and 3 show how electric fields are redistributed
Nonuniformity can be predicted, modeled, and used to design LENR active sites
Figure 1. Figure 3.
Tiny red arrows show E-M energy
flows across particle’s surface
http://publications.lib.chalmers.se/records/fulltext/178593/local_178593.pdf

Grow in Nature and are readily fabricated in nanotech laboratories
Nanoparticle shapes locally intensify electric fields
Surface plasmons are present on surfaces of metallic NPs embedded in oxides
"Synthesis of spiky Ag-Au octahedral nanoparticles and their tunable optical
properties” S. Pedireddy et al., J. Phys. Chem. C 117 pp. 16640 - 16649 (2013)
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jp4063077

LENRs occur in microscopic active sites found on surfaces
Many-body collections of protons and electrons form spontaneously
Ultralow energy neutrons produced & captured close to LENR active sites
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Layer of positive charge + + + + + + + + ++ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Substrate subsystem
- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - Thin-film of surface plasmon electrons - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Substrate: in this example, is hydride-forming metal, e.g. Palladium (Pd); could also be many other metals
Note: diagram components are not to scale
After being produced, neutrons will capture on nearby atoms:
n + (Z, A) g (Z, A+1) [local atoms compete to capture neutrons]
(Z, A+1) g (Z + 1, A+1) + eβ
- + νe [beta- decay]
Captures often followed by β- decays of neutron-rich intermediate LENR products
Regions of
electric field
amplification
NPNP

Chemical and LENR realms interoperate in active sites
LENRs: complex interplay between E-M/chemical/nuclear processes
Resonant E-M cavities can transfer energy directly to catalytically active sites
It is well-known that metallic surface nanostructures and SP electrons can
have configurations that can absorb electromagnetic (E-M) energy over a wide
area, transport and concentrate it, and --- in conjunction with contiguous
surface patches of collectively oscillating protons --- create nuclear-strength
local electric fields that are required to produce neutrons in LENR active sites
For substrate surfaces on which LENR active sites have formed, there are a
myriad of different complex, nanometer-to micron-scale electromagnetic,
chemical, and nuclear processes operating simultaneously. LENR active sites
involve extremely complex interplays between surface plasmon electrons, E-M
fields, and many different types of nanostructures with various geometries,
surface locations relative to each other, different-strength local E-M fields, and
varied chemical or isotopic compositions. Key: electromagnetic, chemical, and
nuclear processes can coexist and interact on small length-scales at surfaces
To varying degrees, many of these complex, time-varying surface interactions
are electromagnetically coupled on many different physical length-scales.
Thus, mutual E-M resonances can be very important in such systems. In
addition to optical frequencies, SP and π electrons in condensed matter often
also have strong absorption and emission bands in both infrared (IR) and UV
portions of E-M spectrum; this can lead to formation of resonant E-M cavities

LENR transmutation processes can convert C g N g O
Similar to stars but radiation-free and occurs under earthly conditions
Series of neutron captures and decays create elements along same row of Table
Begin at Carbon (6C12)
Vector of theorized Carbon-target LENR
transmutation network pathway in green

Legend:
ULM neutron captures
proceed from left to right; Q-
value of capture reaction in
MeV is on top of green
horizontal arrow:
Beta decays proceed from
top to bottom; denoted w.
blue vertical arrow with Q-
value in MeV in blue to left:
Totally stable isotopes are
indicated by green boxes;
some with extremely long
half-lives are labeled
“~stable”; natural
abundances denoted in %
Unstable isotopes are
indicated by purplish boxes;
when measured, half-lives
are shown as “HL = xx”
7.5
Beta-delayed alpha
decays are denoted
by orange arrows with
decay energy in MeV:
Beta-delayed, more
energetic neutron
emissions are almost
fully suppressed in
LENR networks
Gamma emissions are
not shown here; are
automatically
converted directly to
infrared by heavy-
mass SP electrons
Neutron captures and decays can transmute C g N g O
Theorized LENR transmutation network starting with stable Carbon-12
Network cannot get past Oxygen-18 unless neutron fluxes are > 1 x 1010 cm2/sec
6C-12
Stable 98.7%
6C-13
Stable 1.3%
6C-14
HL=5.7x103 y
7N-14
Stable 99.6%
0.2
6C-15
HL= 2.5 sec
7N-15
Stable 0.4%
9.8
6C-16
HL=747 msec
7N-16
HL=7.1 sec
8O-16
Stable 99.76%
8.0
10.4
6C-17
HL=193 msec
7N-17
HL=4.2 sec
8O-17
Stable 0.04%
13.2
8.7
6C-18
HL=92 msec
7N-18
HL=622 msec
8O-18
Stable 0.20%
13.9
6C-19
HL=46 msec
7N-19
HL=271 msec
8O-19
HL=26.5 sec
9F-19
~Stable 100%
16.6
12.5
4.8
5.0 8.2 1.2 4.3 0.6
10.8 2.5 2.85.9 5.3
4.1 8.0 4.0
2.9
2.2
6.6
7.6
Network continues onward to higher A
2He-4 ‘Pool’
Stable 99.99%
‘Boson sink’
Increasing values of A
IncreasingvaluesofZ
7.5
7.5
3.3
2.3
7.7
Well-accepted experimental reports
documenting beta-delayed alpha
decays in neutron-rich Nitrogen (N)
isotopes were first published in major
academic journals ca. 1992 - 1994
[BR = 12.2 %]
[BR = 0.0025 %]
[BR = 0.001 %]
0.8
Carbon
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Fluorine
11.8
4.2
Fluorine's ‘valley
of death’ destroys
LENR active sites
H + F g HF
Network will stop at Oxygen
unless neutron flux >1010 V/m

W-L predicts transmutations at very low rates in and around planets
Conceptual paradigm shift: planetary nucleosynthesis
Neutron production via e + p reaction can occur in lightning and earth’s crust
 Theoretically predicted production of low-energy neutrons in lightning via
the Widom-Larsen e + p mechanism was effectively confirmed by
Gurevich et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 2012); please see following document:
 In recent presentation we discussed key compelling experimental data
published in peer-reviewed journals suggesting W-L neutron production is
occurring abiotically --- and perhaps also biologically --- in earth’s crust:
“New Russian data supports Widom-Larsen theory neutron production
in lightning” L. Larsen, Lattice Energy LLC, April 4, 2012 [73 slides]
http://www.slideshare.net/lewisglarsen/lattice-energy-llcnew-russian-data-
supports-wlt-neutron-production-in-lightningapril-4-2012
“Implications of LENRs and mobile + charge carriers in Earth's crust
for seismicity, terrestrial nucleosynthesis, and the Deep Biosphere:
paradigm shifts in geophysics, geochemistry, and biology”
L. Larsen, Lattice Energy LLC, December 22, 2014 [102 slides]
http://www.slideshare.net/lewisglarsen/lattice-energy-llc-lenrs-pholes-crustal-
nucleosynthesis-seismicity-and-deep-biosphere-dec-22-2014

Planetary nucleosynthesis is heretical but also plausible
W-L theory posits chemical & nuclear processes overlap on nanoscale
LENR transmutations occur in parallel with more common chemical fractionation
Before proceeding further, please note that we are:
 Not asserting that the existing chemical fractionation paradigm fails to
adequately explain most reported isotope anomalies with respect to
statistically significant deviations from natural abundances --- indeed,
it may well effectively and accurately explain the vast majority of them
 Claiming that the presently available published literature contains a
significant subset comprising many examples in which a chemical
fractionation paradigm must be pushed very hard (which includes use
of various ad hoc constructs) to explain certain isotope anomalies, i.e.
it is being overly stretched to be able to accommodate certain data
 Suggesting that in such instances it may be fruitful for researchers to
reexamine isotopic measurements through conceptual lens of a W-L
LENR paradigm to determine whether Widom-Larsen theory can help
lead to a better understanding of such anomalous experimental data

Definition of chemical fractionation of isotopes
Isotope fractionation: “… is the physical phenomenon which causes changes in the relative abundance of
isotopes due to their differences in mass ... are two categories of isotope effects: equilibrium and kinetic.”
“An equilibrium isotope effect will cause one isotope to concentrate in one component of a reversible
system that is in equilibrium. If it is the heavier isotope that concentrates in the component of interest,
then that component is commonly referred to as enriched or heavy. If it is the light isotope that
concentrates then the component is referred to as depleted or light. In most circumstances the heavy
isotope concentrates in the component in which the element is bound more strongly and thus equilibrium
isotope effects usually reflect relative differences in the bond strengths of the isotopes in the various
components of the system. A kinetic isotope effect occurs when one isotope reacts more rapidly than the
other in an irreversible system or a system in which the products are swept away from the reactants before
they have an opportunity to come to equilibrium [typical in biological processes]. Normally, the lighter
isotope will react more rapidly than … heavy isotope and thus … product will be lighter than the reactant.”
“It should be noted that isotope fractionation will only occur in systems in which there is both an isotope
effect and a reaction that does not proceed to completion. Thus, even in the presence of an isotope effect,
there will be no isotope fractionation if all the reactant goes to a single product because all the atoms have
reacted and thus the ratio of the heavy to light isotope must be the same in the product as it was in the
reactant. The magnitude of an isotope effect is expressed as a fractionation factor. This is defined as the
ratio of the heavy to light isotope in the product divided by the ratio of the heavy to light isotope in the
reactant. Stated mathematically:”
“When f is greater than 1 … product is heavy or enriched. When … less than 1 … product is light or
depleted. Most fractionation factors lie between 0.9 and 1.1 … fractionation factor of 1.050 is … referred to
as a 5% isotope effect.”
Source: D. Schoeller and A. Coward at http://www.unu.unupress/food2/uid05e/uid05e0e.htm

LENR isotopic effects can mimic chemical fractionation
Neutrons can potentially be captured by any element in Periodic Table
LENRs are definitely occurring in Earth’s environs: terrestrial C g N g O cycle?
 For ~ 60 years, a body of theory has been developed and
articulated to explain progressively increasing numbers of
stable isotope anomalies observed in a vast array of mass
spectroscopic data obtained from many different types of
natural and experimental, abiotic and/or biological, systems.
Central ideas in chemical “fractionation” theory embody
equilibrium and irreversible, mass-dependent and mass-
independent, chemical processes that are claimed to separate
isotopes, thus explaining the reported anomalies
 Although not explicitly acknowledged by the fractionation
theorists, an intrinsic fundamental assumption underlying all
of such theory and interpretation of data is that NO neutron-
catalyzed nucleosynthetic processes are ever occurring
anywhere in these systems - at any time - that are capable of
altering isotope ratios or producing new mixtures of different
elements over time --- chemistry alone can explain everything
 However, if in situ neutron production is occurring in certain
systems within which isotopic “fractionations” are observed,
the fundamental assumption above is obviously erroneous

Definition: delta (δ) notation for stable isotope ratios
For some elements variability of ratio in range of 3rd - 5th decimal place
Formula expresses very tiny values in terms of per mil or parts per thousand (‰)
Stable isotope ratios of Nitrogen are commonly expressed in δ-notation:
d = ( ) x 1000
Rsample - Rstandard
Rstandard
( )Xmeasured isotope
R = ratio = Xmost abundant
Wherein by convention:
δ-notation for stable isotope ratios of Nitrogen:

International standards for isotope ratios shown below
Absolute ratio in Table embodies idea of “natural isotopic abundance”
Source: Prof. Paul Asimow, Caltech, slide from a Geology lecture in 2006
In delta (δ) notation, isotopic ratio Rsample measured in a sample is compared to an
internationally agreed-upon reference standard; this approach derived directly
from notion that there exists an ~ invariant “natural isotopic abundance” for every
stable element found on a planet, e.g., earth. A measured δ value will be positive if
a sample contains more of the measured isotope vs. a standard; a δ value will be
negative if sample contains less of measured isotope vs. given isotopic standard

Neutron capture causes complex changes in isotope ratios
LENR transmutations either enrich or deplete different Nitrogen isotopes
 If 14N were somehow exposed to fluxes of ultra-low-energy neutrons, it could readily be
transmuted to 15N with the capture of a single neutron. Therefore, the abundance of 15N
can be enriched by neutron-catalyzed LENR processes; i.e., d15N would increase versus
the standard which happens to be the isotopic ratio of Nitrogen in Earth’s atmosphere
 Interestingly if not perversely, when stable Carbon-13 (13C natural abundance = ~1.3%)
captures one neutron, it creates unstable Carbon-14 (14C with half-life = 5,730 years -
varying trace amounts always present in living matter), which beta decays to Nitrogen-
14 (14N) thus decreasing d15N (increases value of 14Nsample in equation’s denominator)
 If 15N captures a neutron, it would be transmuted to 16N which happens to be unstable
(half-life = 7.1 seconds); 16N beta decays to stable Oxygen (16O – natural abundance
99.76%). In this case, 15N will be depleted and 16O enriched; in addition, mass-balance
of Nitrogen may show a deficit; will be “missing Nitrogen” that seemingly ‘disappears’
 Depending greatly on initial conditions, exposure of Nitrogen atoms to LENR neutrons
would undoubtedly alter whatever isotopic ratios may have existed prior to exposure
Natural abundances (two stable isotopes): 14N = ~99.636%; 15N = ~0.364%
Thermal neutron capture cross-section (barns): 14N = 0.080 ; 15N = 0.04 mb

Enzyme active sites create very high electric fields
Quasi-static E-fields ~ 1.5 x 1010 V/m were measured in WT isomerase
Still unable to measure fast transients that represent even higher field strengths
“Extreme electric fields power catalysis in the
active site of ketosteroid isomerase”
S. Fried et al., Science 346 pp. 1510 - 1514 (2014)
http://web.stanford.edu/group/boxer/papers/paper303.pdf
 Also see Lattice PowerPoint dated March 20, 2015 referenced later herein
 Using Stark Effect, measured quasi-static, near-equilibrium, time averaged
electric fields of ~ 1.5 x 1010 V/m in Wild Type (WT) ketosteroid isomerase’s
active site; admitted that fast-transient, way-higher spikes in active sites’ local
electric field-strength could occur under dynamic non-equilibrium conditions
but they can’t presently be measured (S. Boxer, private communication)
 Observed linear relationship between E-field strength and effect on C=O bond
 Concluded that electric field strength in enzyme’s active site responsible for:
“70% of KSI’s catalytic speedup relative to an uncatalyzed reference reaction”
 To create neutrons via W-L e + p reaction, need E-field strengths > 2.5 x 1011
V/m for tens of attoseconds; do fast transients in active sites get high enough?

New breakthrough in room temperature Nitrogen fixation
FeMoS-chalcogels used could be mimicking active site of Nitrogenase
White light irradiation drives process but 1,000x less proficient than the enzyme
“Photochemical Nitrogen conversion to ammonia
in ambient conditions with FeMoS-chalcogels”
A. Bannerjee et al. JACS 137 pp. 2030 - 2034 (2015)
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja512491v
 Molybdenum (Mo), Iron (Fe), and Sulfur (S) present in chalcogel (see Figure
on next slide) somewhat resemble the active site of Nitrogenase enzyme
 Chalcogels are very porous, dark materials with extremely high surface areas
 Experiments: insoluble FeMoS-chalcogels were placed in aqueous H2O
solutions with additional chemicals and irradiated with white light from Xenon
lamp (light replaces ATP as energy source for fixation); ammonia is then
produced in reactor at ambient room temperature and atmospheric pressure
 While Banerjee et al. can produce ammonia under remarkably mild conditions
compared to the Haber-Bosch process, it is 1,000x less proficient vs. enzyme
 Commercial challenge is to increase the catalytic proficiency of their process

Abiotic enzyme-like room temperature fixation of N2
Requires more energy to break N≡N bond compared to C=O bond
Reasonable to speculate that higher electric field strength needed to cleave N≡N
Experimental bond dissociation
enthalpies of selected bonds at 298 K:
N ≡ N 941 kJ/mole
C = O 799 kJ/mole
 Nitrogen triple bond is ~18% stronger than
C = O double bond
 If electric field strengths are crucial in
catalysis, and if causal relationship
between effects on chemical bonds and E-
field strengths are ~linear per Fried et al.,
then it is likely that electric fields in active
site of Nitrogenase are somewhat higher
vs. ketosteroid isomerase at 1.5 x 1010 V/m
 Follows that FeMoS-chalcogels should have
measured E-fields > 1.5 x 1010 V/m in μ or
smaller regions somewhere on surfaces
 Surface plasmons occur on chalcogenides Figure source: Banerjee et al. JACS (2015)
Structure of Bannerjee et al. chalcogel

How do we know if Nitrogenase E-fields >1.5 x 1010 V/m?
If fields >2.5 x 1011 V/m W-L predict occasional production of neutrons
‘Accidental’ events occur because Q-M entangled protons/electrons are present
 If local electric field-strengths in an active site exceed 2.5 x 1011 V/m for just
a few tens of attoseconds, it is possible to occasionally produce neutrons
via Widom-Larsen e + p electroweak reaction. Such ‘accidents’ can happen
because mutually quantum-entangled protons and electrons (including π
electrons on aromatic rings) are innately present in active sites, along with
Carbon and metal atoms, all of which will compete to capture any ultralow
energy neutrons. Note than an active site would likely produce neutrons only
one or two at a time and that local unreacted mass-enhanced electrons will
automatically convert any locally produced gammas into infrared photons
 Per Widom-Larsen theory, physical dimensions of LENR neutron’s DeBroglie
wavelength at the instant of creation should ~ match size of the many-body
collective ‘patch’ of mutually entangled protons (Hydrogens) and electrons
that cooperatively produced it; implies that neutron wavelengths will likely
approximate the spatial dimensions of active sites’ entangled components
 If ultralow energy LENR neutrons are being produced one would expect to
observe “fractionation” of isotopes of elements situated in vicinity of the
active site which in this case would minimally include H, Mo, C, N, Fe, and S

Neutron production in active sites is probably accidental
Quantum fluctuations may occasionally push E-fields > 2.5 x 1011 V/m
Some nonzero percentage of isotopic “fractionation” could instead be LENRs
 Evolutionary pressures would select for active sites that get the job done
chemically but modulate strength of local electric fields so as to keep them
below thresholds required for electroweak neutron production. Even so,
quantum fluctuations could sometimes push E-fields > 2.5 x 1011 V/m, thus
causing accidental production of neutrons that are captured by local atoms
 Competition for neutron capture amongst many atoms found in or near an
enzyme active site would be a many-body collective scattering process that
would be very complex and exceedingly capricious in terms of outcomes ---
capture products could vary enormously from one active site to another
 It is not clear that a neutron production and capture event would inevitably
damage or destroy an enzyme’s active site; in some cases it might, and in
others it would not --- the outcome would likely depend on exactly which
element/isotope underwent neutron capture. Note that neutron production
in active sites could potentially reduce the average half-life of Nitrogenase
 We will now present two selected examples of published experimental
results in which isotopic “fractionation” that is attributed to purely chemical
processes could plausibly have also been caused by LENRs, at least in part

Data in which LENRs may be accompanying fractionation
 “Molybdenum isotope fractionation by cyanobacterial assimilation during
nitrate utilization and N2 fixation”
A. Zerkle et al. Geobiology 9 pp. 94 - 106 (2011)
“Instead, the pattern in δ98Mo fractionations we observe suggests a more
complex mechanism or mechanisms for fractionation ... We have
demonstrated that cyanobacterial assimilation of Mo can produce large
fractionations in δ98Mo (εcells-media as large as -1‰)”
 “Fixation and fate of C and N in the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium using
nanometer-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry”
J. Finzi-Hart et al. PNAS 106 pp. 6345 - 6350 (2009)
“NanoSIMS analysis showed substantial subcellular spatial variability in 15N
and 13C enrichment along Trichodesmium trichomes and with depth through
individual cells … 13C/12C and 15N/14N ratio images generated from sectioned
trichomes, along with correlated TEM maps, provide direct evidence of
subcellular uptake localization within cells ~8 h, and the redistribution of
that enrichment after 24-h incubation … In both sectioned and whole cells,
we observed discrete hotspots enriched in 15N and 13C at 4 h, with increased
density at 8 h.”
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1472-4669.2010.00262.x/pdf
http://www.pnas.org/content/106/15/6345.full.pdf

Anomalies in global Nitrogen cycle noticed for 60 years
Nitrogen doesn’t mass-balance across a huge range of length-scales
Highly variable % of measured Nitrogen is ‘missing in action’ --- where did it go?
 Mystery of “missing” Nitrogen has been noted in many published studies
spanning six decades; is it just measurement problems or something else?
 Prior to Widom-Larsen theory, near-universally assumed that persistently
observed mass-imbalance anomaly was nothing more than researchers
inability to accurately characterize and measure all the molecular moieties
that contain Nitrogen … however, neutron captures can transmute N g O
 Data reported in two recent studies illustrates missing Nitrogen conundrum:
“Closing the carbon balance for fermentation by Clostridium thermocellum”
L. Ellis et al. Bioresource Technology 103 pp. 293 - 299 (2011)
Comment: despite diligent measurement efforts, chemostat experiments could
only account for ~93% of Carbon and ~92 - 96% of all elemental Nitrogen
“Nitrogen control in source segregated domestic food waste anaerobic digestion
using stripping technologies”
A. Serna-Maza, PhD Thesis, University of Southampton (November 2014)
Comment: experiments conducted in batch laboratory-scale digesters were
unable to account for all of the Nitrogen; see Chapter 4 for discussion
http://bioenergycenter.org/besc/publications/ellis_closing_carbon.pdf
http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/372768/

Speculation re cause of “missing Nitrogen” anomalies
New heresy: LENR transmutation of “missing” Nitrogen into Oxygen?
Accurate measurements of C, N, O mass-balances in closed system are needed
 C g N g O hypothesis is informed theoretical speculation based on hard data
 Skilled experimentalists are needed to confirm or falsify C g N g O conjecture
 Well characterized, high-tech microbial chemostat systems might be ideal for
tightly controlled experiments that are designed to test for this possibility
 Accurate, state-of-the-art mass spectroscopy analyses on before-and-after
samples, including access to a nanoSIMS machine when needed, are crucial
 While LENR processes in Nature may occur at extremely low rates, their effects
on isotopic ratios and abundances of elements could be very substantial over
geological time horizons --- some parts of geochemistry may require revision
LENR neutron-catalyzed
transmutation network

Lattice’s R&D strategy for going beyond Haber-Bosch
Apply knowledge of LENR active sites and plasmonics to N2 fixation
Boost catalytic proficiency and keep working temps & pressures near ambient
 It has become apparent that deep technical
knowledge about details of abiotic LENR
electroweak catalysis can provide valuable
insights into the operation of both enzymatic and
abiotic chemical catalysis. There is thus an
opportunity to use new and unique conceptual
insights to help greatly increase performance and
reduce production costs for industrial abiotic,
non-Haber-Bosch catalysis of Nitrogen fixation
 Chalcogens are good place to start thanks to the
new discovery by Bannerjee et al. (JACS 2015);
importantly, surface plasmons are well-known on
chalcogenides in other nanotech applications
 Nanotechnology, plasmonics, and many-body
collective quantum effects can be applied to
selected FeMoS materials to purpose-design
catalytically active nanoscale sites in which local
electric field strengths are high enough to cleave
the Nitrogen triple bond to react with Hydrogen http://tinyurl.com/qypprkz
“Electric field profile of optimized
energy transfer structure”
A. Lin et al. Optics Express (2013)

 “The alchemy of air - a Jewish genius, a doomed tycoon, and the
scientific discovery that fed the world but fueled the rise of Hitler”
T. Hager, Harmony Books - New York (2008) 316 pp.
 “Ultrahigh local electric fields: surprising similarities between LENR
active sites and enzymatic biocatalysis”
L. Larsen, Lattice Energy LLC, March 20, 2015 [101 PowerPoint slides]
 “Towards a generic model of catalysis”
M. Grayson and S. Janusz, IE Conference of Molecular Design (2003)
 “Nitrogenase MoFe protein from Clostridium pasteurianum at 1.08 Å
resolution: comparison with Azotobacter vinelandii MoFe protein”
L-M. Zhang et al., Acta Crystallographica D73 pp. 274 - 282 (2015)
 “Nitrogen isotope fractionation by alternative nitrogenases and past
ocean anoxia” X. Zhang et al. PNAS 111 pp. 4782 - 4787 (2014)
Additional references
http://www.amazon.com/The-Alchemy-Air-Scientific-Discovery/dp/0307351793
http://biochempress.com/Files/IECMD_2003/IECMD_2003_020.pdf
http://www.slideshare.net/lewisglarsen/lattice-energy-llc-surprising-similarities-
between-lenr-active-sites-and-enzymatic-catalysis-march-20-2015
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4321486/
http://www.pnas.org/content/111/13/4782.full.pdf

Working with Lattice
Partnering on commercialization and consulting on certain topics
Larsen cv: http://www.slideshare.net/lewisglarsen/lewis-g-larsen-cv-june-2013
1-312-861-0115 lewisglarsen@gmail.com
 Lattice welcomes inquiries from established
large organizations that may have an interest in
discussing the possibility of becoming a
strategic capital and/or a key technology
development partner with our US company
 Lewis Larsen also selectively engages in fee-
based third-party consulting that does not
compromise Lattice’s proprietary intellectual
property relating to any LENR-based power
sources. Such expertise includes many areas
such as optimizing industrial catalysts; LENRs
as they relate to petroleum geochemistry and
fracking-induced seismicity; lithium-ion battery
safety; and long-term strategic implications of
LENRs on high cap-ex long term investments in
power generation and petroleum-related assets. http://tinyurl.com/lzvvyv9
“Simulated time-
averaged electric field
distribution for the
cross-section of a
nanowire array”
Fig. 6 in
Mackenzie et al.
(2010)

Significance of the Haber-Bosch process today
“Today hundreds of Haber-Bosch plants are drinking in air and
turning out ammonia, producing enough fertilizer not only to
support a burgeoning human population but to improve average
diets worldwide. All of the plants run on the same principles Haber
and Bosch pioneered and are filled with the same basic catalyst
that Alwin Mittasch found almost a century ago. They are however,
larger and more efficient. In Carl Bosch’s day, the tallest ammonia
ovens were thirty feet high. Now they top one hundred feet. In
1938, it took an average of sixteen hundred workers to produce a
thousand tons a day of ammonia. Today it takes 55 workers to
make the same amount. In the early days it took four times as
much energy to make a ton of fertilizer as it does now. Still, the
demand for their products are so great that Haber-Bosch plants
today consume 1 percent of all the energy on earth … This huge,
almost invisible industry is feeding the world. Without these plants,
somewhere between two billion and three billion people --- about
40% of the world’s population … would starve to death.”
Thomas Hager “The alchemy of air” (2008)
Laura 13

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