Continuous-Flow Chemical Synthesis for Sub-2 nm Ultra-Multielement Alloy Nanoparticles Consisting of Group IV to XV Elements

Abstract

Multielement alloy nanoparticles have attracted much attention due to their attractive catalytic properties derived from the multiple interactions of adjacent multielement atoms. However, mixing multiple elements in ultrasmall nanoparticles from a wide range of elements on the periodic table is still challenging because the elements have different properties and miscibility. Herein, we developed a benchtop 4-way flow reactor for chemical synthesis of ultra-multielement alloy (UMEA) nanoparticles composed of d-block and p-block elements. BiCoCuFeGaInIrNiPdPtRhRuSbSnTi 15-element alloy nanoparticles composed of group IV to XV elements were synthesized by sequential injection of metal precursors using the reactor. This methodology realized the formation of UMEA nanoparticles at low temperature (66 °C), resulting in a 1.9 nm ultrasmall average particle size. The UMEA nanoparticles have high durability and activity for electrochemical alcohol oxidation reactions and high tolerance to CO poisoning. These results suggest that the multiple interactions of UMEA efficiently promote the multistep alcohol oxidation reaction.

High-entropy alloy electrocatalysts go to (sub-)nanoscale

“…This is also why commercial catalysts choose Pt nanoparticles with ~3 nm supported on carbon black. Extending to HEAs, researchers have been committed to developing HEA electrocatalysts with ultrasmall size, which not only maximizes the catalytic activity but also chooses appropriate methods to enhance stability when the size is too small ( 32 – 35 , 54 – 56 ).…”

Controllable synthesis of high-entropy alloys

“…Similar to the CTS process, a series of non-equilibrium synthesis strategies featuring the “shock” could contribute to the simultaneous reduction, nucleation, and growth, leading to the formation of a high-entropy state. These developed strategies are simply summarized as follows: vapor phase oscillatory spark mixing, 35 fast-moving bed pyrolysis, 58 an ultrasonication-assisted method, 59 laser heating, 60,61 transient electrosynthesis, 62 a hydrogen spillover-driven method, 63 microwave heating, 64 chemical co-reduction, 65 and so on. 66 These synthesis strategies analogous to CTS are also applied to more kinds of high-entropy materials, such as multi-element oxide nanoparticles, 67 high-entropy carbide films, 68 and high-entropy metal sulfides, 69 which have enriched the composition of high-entropy materials.…”

Materials Nanoarchitectonics at Dynamic Interfaces: Structure Formation and Functional Manipulation

“…Humans have developed various types of chemistry since the 20th century, which has led to modern scientific research. Research on the development of functional systems through organic chemistry [ 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 ], inorganic chemistry [ 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 ], coordination chemistry [ 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 ], supramolecular chemistry [ 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 ], polymer chemistry [ 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 , 126 ], interface chemistry [ 127 , …”