A general flame aerosol route to high-entropy nanoceramics

Abstract

High-entropy ceramics are an emerging class of materials with fascinating characteristics. However, elemental immiscibility and crystal complexity limit the development of a general synthesis strategy, and common methods yield bulk materials. Here, we introduce a transformative non-equilibrium flame aerosol technique for synthesizing high-entropy nanoceramics. This scalable, one-step process enables the production of high-entropy oxide nanoceramics with an unprecedented diversity of crystal structures, including fluorite-phase materials that integrate up to 22 distinct cation elements. The method’s capacity for entropic stabilization and grain refinement significantly improves the thermal stability of these nanostructures. In a representative application, a Pt-(MgCoNiCuZn)O high-entropy single-atom catalyst showed superior activity and long-term stability, maintaining constant CO₂ conversion over 670 h and dramatically outperforming conventional catalysts. The general approach opens a vast composition and structure space for the creation of high-entropy oxide nanomaterials for application across diverse fields, including catalysis, energy storage, sensing, and thermal management.