Integrating few-atom layer metal on high-entropy alloys to catalyze nitrate reduction in tandem

While high-entropy alloy (HEA) catalysts seem to have the potential to break linear scaling relationships (LSRs) due to their structural complexity, the weighted averaging of properties among multiple principal components actually makes it challenging to diverge from the symmetry dependencies imposed by the LSRs. Herein, we develop a ‘surface entropy reduction’ method to induce the exsolution of a component with weak affinity for others, resulting in the formation of few-atom-layer metal (FL-M) on the surface of HEAs. These exsolved FL-M surpass the confines of the original configurational space of conventional HEAs, and collaborate with the HEA substrate, serving as geometrically separated active sites for…

• SS
  Salt Science Research Foundation

  Award: BL14W1
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 52273058, 52073124, 52072261, 22209073, U22A20146
• GO
  Government of Jiangsu Province
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province

  Award: BK20220912
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China-Yunnan Joint Fund

  Award: 22325101
• FR
  Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

  Awards: BL14W1, KYCX23_2465