Design of High-Entropy Alloy Nanoparticles and Exploration of Novel Catalytic Functions

Abstract

The present work demonstrates the synthesis of CeO₂ nanorods (NRs) on which sub-nanometer CoNiCuZnPd HEA clusters were formed with the aid of a pronounced hydrogen spillover effect on readily reducible CeO₂ (110) facets. The CoNiCuZnPd HEA sub-nanoclusters exhibited higher activity during the reduction of NO by H₂ even at low temperatures compared with the corresponding monometallic catalysts. These clusters also showed a unique structural reversibility in response to repeated exposure to oxidative/reductive conditions, based on the sacrificial oxidation of the non-noble metals. We also succeeded in the transformation into more active core–shell structured HEA@Rh by galvanic replacement.