High-entropy nanoparticles hold promise for catalytic applications

Alloying is a magic trick used to produce new materials by synergistically mixing at least two metallic elements to form a solid solution. Recent developments in science have found great applications of alloy materials in catalysis, for which nanometer scale bi- or tri-metallic particles are used to accelerate the rate of chemical reactions. But the application of alloys as catalysts is limited by so-called "miscibility," as not any arbitrary combination of elements can form a homogeneous alloy, neither for robust tuning of the ratio between the two components.