Chemical Synthesis, Characterization, and Properties of Multi-Element Nanoparticles

Multi-element nanoparticles (NPs) consisting of five or more elements have been increasingly studied in the past five years. Their emergence is taking materials science one step further because they exhibit superior properties to those of conventional NPs in a range of respects, including catalysis. This Review focuses on the recent progress in multi-element NPs regarding synthesis, especially with regard to chemical synthesis, characterization, and properties. We begin with a brief introduction of multi-element NPs and an overview of their synthesis methods. Then, we present representative examples of multi-element alloy NPs and ceramic NPs, including oxide NPs prepared by chemical syntheses. This Review intends to provide useful insights into the chemical methods that are used to synthesize multi-element NPs, and includes a discussion on the possibilities arising from their use in new functional materials.