Controlling metastability through annealing of high-entropy nanoalloy electrocatalysts to boost performance towards the oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract

Low-cost transition metal high-entropy nanoalloys are emerging as sustainable alternatives to platinum group electrocatalysts. Synthesis conditions of single-phase solid solutions can alter phase stability, causing surface composition changes that affect electrocatalytic performance. Here, we propose to exploit the metastability of carbon-doped Cantor alloy-based amorphous high-entropy alloy nanoparticles produced by nanosecond-pulsed laser synthesis in organic solvents. In situ electron microscopy reveals crystallization and partitioning of elements upon heating to 600 °C, forming heterostructured nanoparticles with reinforced carbon shells that exhibit a 5- to 7-fold enhancement of the electrocatalytic activity compared to the as-synthesized counterparts for the oxygen evolution reaction. Discernible differences in elemental dissolution profiles under reaction conditions indicate the changes in the surface atom arrangements that influence the electrocatalytic behavior. We demonstrate the strategic utilization of phase metastability in high-entropy nanoalloys through post-synthesis annealing to enhance the electrochemical activity of laser-generated nanoparticles.