High-throughput synthesis of multi-element alloy nanoparticles using solvothermal continuous-flow reactor

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• High-throughput synthesis of multi-element alloy nanoparticles (MEA NPs) is crucial for discovering advanced materials.
• Existing methods often lack the speed and control needed for complex alloy compositions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an automated continuous-flow reactor system for synthesizing a diverse range of MEA NPs.
• To achieve high screening throughput and accelerate materials discovery.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a continuous-flow reactor system operating under controlled solvothermal conditions (up to 400 °C and 35 MPa).
• Implemented parallel process execution for concurrent precursor preparation and system cleaning.
• Automated all washing procedures to minimize downtime.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized a wide variety of crystalline, single-phase face-centred cubic solid solution MEA NPs, including high-entropy alloys.
• Demonstrated a screening throughput of up to 20 distinct samples per 30-minute automated run.
• Achieved a theoretical production rate of 0.5 g/h for supported MEA catalysts (e.g., RuRhPdIrPt/CeO2).

Conclusions:

• The developed system is scalable and versatile for high-throughput MEA NPs synthesis.
• It provides a practical solution for bridging computational predictions and experimental materials development.
• The automated platform significantly accelerates the discovery of novel advanced materials.