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Updated: May 13, 2026
09:50
Preparation and Reactivity of Gasless Nanostructured Energetic Materials
Published on: April 2, 2015
Non-equilibrium reducing flame aerosol process to create supported high-entropy alloy nanoparticles
Shuo Liu1,2, Jiashun Liang1, Jonas L Kaufman3
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Nature Communications
|May 11, 2026
Summary
We developed a scalable flame aerosol process to synthesize high-entropy alloy (HEA) nanoparticles on supports. This method overcomes synthesis challenges, enabling new HEA nanomaterial applications in catalysis and energy.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- High-entropy alloy (HEA) nanomaterials offer unique properties for energy and electronics.
- Current synthesis methods struggle with elemental immiscibility, reducibility, and aggregation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a scalable, non-equilibrium process for synthesizing supported HEA nanoparticles.
- To explore the influence of kinetics and entropy on HEA nanoparticle formation and properties.
- To demonstrate the application of HEA nanomaterials in catalysis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a reducing flame aerosol process for in-situ synthesis of supported HEA nanoparticles.
- Achieved simultaneous formation of HEA nanoparticles and mesoporous silica supports in one step.
- Characterized nanoparticle size (2–4 nm) and composition on various supports.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized high-concentration, small-sized HEA nanoparticles on diverse supports.
- Demonstrated simultaneous HEA nanoparticle and mesoporous silica support formation.
- Proposed an entropy-induced reduction mechanism for incorporating oxidizable elements.
- Developed a RuPdOsIrPt/graphene electrocatalyst for hydrogen oxidation reaction with high activity and stability.
Conclusions:
- The flame aerosol process is a versatile method for scalable HEA nanoparticle synthesis.
- Entropy plays a crucial role in HEA formation and element reducibility.
- Developed HEA nanomaterials show promise for advanced catalytic applications.
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