Integrating few-atom layer metal on high-entropy alloys to catalyze nitrate reduction in tandem

Abstract

While high-entropy alloy (HEA) catalysts seem to have the potential to break linear scaling relationships (LSRs) due to their structural complexity, the weighted averaging of properties among multiple principal components actually makes it challenging to diverge from the symmetry dependencies imposed by the LSRs. Herein, we develop a ‘surface entropy reduction’ method to induce the exsolution of a component with weak affinity for others, resulting in the formation of few-atom-layer metal (FL-M) on the surface of HEAs. These exsolved FL-M surpass the confines of the original configurational space of conventional HEAs, and collaborate with the HEA substrate, serving as geometrically separated active sites for multiple intermediates in a complex reaction. This FL-M-covered HEA shows an outstanding performance for electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate to ammonia (NH₃) with a Faradaic efficiency of 92.7%, an NH₃ yield rate of 2.45 mmol h^–1 mg_cat.^–1, and high long-term stability (>200 h). Our work achieves the precise manipulation of atomic arrangement, thereby expanding both the chemical space occupied by known HEA catalysts and their potential application scenarios.