Non-equilibrium reducing flame aerosol process to create supported high-entropy alloy nanoparticles
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: High-entropy alloy (HEA) nanomaterials provide opportunities and property combinations for energy and electronic applications, but their practical synthesis faces challenges of elemental immiscibility, metal reducibility, and particle aggregation during their synthesis. Herein, we report a broadly applicable non-equilibrium, scalable, and in-situ reducing flame aerosol process for synthesis of supported HEA nanoparticles. This versatile process can directly load a high concentration of 2 ~ 4 nm HEA nanoparticles on various 1- to 3-dimensional supports. Notably, simultaneous formation of HEA nanoparticles and a mesoporous silica support was successfully realized in a single step. Exploration of this process demonstrates the role of kinetics and entropy on decreasing alloy particle size and altering the reducibility of elements. We propose an entropy-induced reduction mechanism to incorporate oxidizable elements into HEAs, which extends the compositional space of HEA nanoparticles. As a representative catalytic application, we present a RuPdOsIrPt/graphene electrocatalyst with high activity and stability for hydrogen oxidation reaction. Our findings open horizons for high-performance HEA design and applications in diverse fields such as catalysis, electrochemistry, and sensing. Small and stable supported high-entropy alloy nanoparticles show great promise in catalysis, but their synthesis remains challenging. Here, the authors report a reducing flame aerosol route to highly dispersed high-entropy alloy nanoparticles on diverse supports with good catalytic performance.
Source: Nature Communications
Language: English
Topic: High Entropy Alloys Studies
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, State University of New York, Office of Science, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, University at Buffalo, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Division of Materials Research, Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems, Basic Energy Sciences, Building Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Awards: G1079818582, G1088636562, DE-FE0032209 - NEW AWARD
CATALYTIC MEMBRANE REACTORS BASED ON CARBON MOLECULAR SIEVE HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANES
FOR SUSTAINABLE AND MODULAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION, G1143651532, Collaborative Research: EAGER: SSMCDAT2023: Data-driven Predictive Understanding of Oxidation Resistance in High-Entropy Alloy Nanoparticles, G1285306620, G1286236842, G1286251239, G129027128, G1334204481, G1356433355, G1769256354, G1847291448, G1863003419, G1970545884, G2013908898, G2145270357, G2293800358, G2367898826, G241279073, G2478185962, SCALABLE AND COST-EFFECTIVE ROLL-TO-ROLL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF HIGHLY DURABLE AND THERMAL INSULATING SILICA-CARBON AEROGEL, G2710243964, Manufacturing USA: GOALI: Designing Catalytic Membrane Reactors (CMRs) for Low Temperature CO2 Utilization and Methane Dry Reforming, G30714459, G3083819904, G3084109318, G3262563802, G357145406, G3571461640, G369682116, G419881185, G4386571325, G4501827968, G4509558316, G4876353311, G498139845, G574795485, G5765906131, G627677311, G6413440604, G650090426, G6652958823, G6965541988, G7235040244, G7354628648, G7463374569, G8326222658, G872144517, G969889393, G991281326
OpenAlex ID: W7160868793