Laser solid-phase synthesis of graphene shell-encapsulated high-entropy alloy nanoparticles

(Nanowerk Information) Fast synthesis of high-entropy alloy nanoparticles (HEA NPs) presents a brand new alternative to develop useful supplies in numerous functions. Though some strategies have efficiently produced HEA NPs, these strategies usually require rigorous situations reminiscent of excessive strain, excessive temperature, restricted environment and restricted substrates, which impede sensible viability. In a brand new paper printed in Gentle: Science & Functions (“Laser solid-phase synthesis of graphene shell-encapsulated high-entropy alloy nanoparticles”), a workforce of scientists, led by Professor Zhu Liu from the Analysis Centre for Laser Excessive Manufacturing, Ningbo Institute of Supplies Expertise and Engineering, Chinese language Academy of Sciences, have developed a laser solid-phase synthesis method to supply graphene-shell encapsulated CrMnFeCoNi nanoparticles on 3D porous carbon-support. Schematic diagram of the laser synthesis process for the CrMnFeCoNi HEA nanoparticles and IE-HEA/LIG. (Picture: Gentle: Science & Functions) Totally different from laser ablation in liquid, the laser solid-phase synthesis method is a bottom-up method, based mostly on the laser irradiation of blended metallic precursors in solid-phase adsorbed on a 3D porous construction of laser-induced graphene to supply HEA nanoparticles. 1) the CrMnFeCoNi HEA nanoparticles are embraced by a number of graphene layers, forming graphene shell-encapsulated nanoparticles; 2) the synthesis will be achieved by way of blended metallic precursor adsorption, thermal decomposition, and discount through electrons from laser-induced thermionic emission, and the synthesis solely takes lower than 1 ms; 3) this system additionally presents excessive versatility, evidenced by the profitable synthesis of a number of supplies together with CrMnFeCoNi oxide, sulfide and phosphide nanoparticles; and 4) the laser-synthesized graphene shell-encapsulated CrMnFeCoNi NPs on the carbon help exhibit wonderful electrocatalytic exercise in direction of oxygen evolution response with an overpotential of 293 mV on the present density of 10 mA/cm2 and distinctive stability over 428 hours in alkaline media, outperforming the business RuO2 catalyst and the related catalysts reported utilizing different strategies. The catalyst productiveness is round 30g/h at a laser energy of 35 W, which might be scaled up. “Our technique supplies simplicity, generality and tunability to synthesize phase-separation-free HEA nanoparticles which encompass immiscible parts,” the authors observe. “The graphene shell encapsulated HEA nanoparticles loaded on the carbon help will be immediately used as 3D binder-free built-in electrodes, embodying the scalability of this synthesis method. This technique is economically possible and technically viable to synthesize composition-tunable nanoparticles”. “As well as, this system could also be utilized as a speedy device for high-throughput screening and data-driven discovery of HEA supplies, within the improvement of catalysis and different functions”, the workforce added.