High-entropy oxides (HEOs) are complex oxides that contain five or more principal metal cations and have a single-phase crystal structure. The first HEO, (MgNiCuCoZn)0.2O in a rock salt structure, was reported in 2015 by Rost et al. [1] HEOs have been successfully synthesized in many structures, including fluorites, [2] perovskites, and spinels. [3] HEOs are currently being investigated for applications as functional materials. [3] [4] [5]
In the realm of high-entropy materials, HEOs are preceded by high-entropy alloys (HEAs), which were first reported by Yeh et al. in 2004. [6] HEAs are alloys of five or more principal metallic elements. Some HEAs have been shown to possess desirable mechanical properties, such as retaining strength/hardness at high temperatures. [7] HEA research substantially accelerated in the 2010s. [8]
The first HEO, (MgNiCuCoZn)0.2O in a rock salt structure, was reported in 2015 by Rost et al. [1] Similar to HEAs, (MgNiCuCoZn)0.2O is a multicomponent single-phase material. The cation site in (MgNiCuCoZn)0.2O material is compositionally disordered, similar to HEAs. However, unlike HEAs, (MgNiCuCoZn)0.2O contains an ordered anion sublattice. Following the discovery of HEOs in 2015, the field rapidly expanded. [3] [4]
Since the discovery of HEOs, the field of high-entropy materials has expanded to include high-entropy metal diborides, high-entropy carbides, high-entropy sulfides, and high-entropy alumino-silicides. [4]
The formation of HEOs is based on the principle of entropy stabilization. Thermodynamics predicts that the structure which minimizes Gibbs free energy for a given temperature and pressure will form. The formula for Gibbs free energy is given by:
where G is Gibbs free energy, H is enthalpy, T is absolute temperature, and S is entropy. It can clearly be seen from this formula that a large entropy reduces Gibbs free energy and thus favors phase stability. It can also be seen that entropy becomes increasingly important in determining phase stability at higher temperatures. In a multi-component system, one component of entropy is the entropy of mixing (). For an ideal mixture, takes the form:
where R is the ideal gas constant, n is the number of components, and ci is the atomic fraction of component i. The value of increases as the number of components increases. For a given number of components, is maximized when the atomic fractions of the components approach equimolar amounts.
Evidence for entropy stabilization is given by the original rock salt HEO (MgNiCuCoZn)0.2O. Single-phase (MgNiCuCoZn)0.2O may be prepared by solid-state reaction of CuO, CoO, NiO, MgO, and ZnO. [1] Rost et al. reported that under solid state reaction conditions that produce single-phase (MgNiCuCoZn)0.2O, the absence of any one of the five oxide precursors will result in a multi-phase sample, [1] suggesting that configurational entropy stabilizes the material.
It can clearly be seen from the formula for Gibbs free energy that enthalpy reduction is another important indicator of phase stability. For an HEO to form, the enthalpy of formation must be sufficiently small to be overcome by configurational entropy. Furthermore, the discussion above assumes that the reaction kinetics allow for the thermodynamically favored phase to form.
Bulk samples of HEOs may be prepared by the solid-state reaction method. In this technique, oxide precursors are ball milled and pressed into a green body, which is sintered at a high temperature. The thermal energy provided accelerates diffusion within the green body, allowing new phases to form within the sample. Solid-state reactions are often carried out in the presence of air to allow oxygen-rich and oxygen-deficient mixtures to release and absorb oxygen from the atmosphere, respectively. Oxide precursors are not required to have the same crystal structure as the desired HEO for the solid-state reaction method to be effective. For example, CuO and ZnO may be used as precursors to synthesize (MgNiCuCoZn)0.2O. At room temperature, CuO has the tenorite structure and ZnO has the wurtzite structure.
Polymeric steric entrapment is a wet chemistry technique for synthesizing oxides. It is based on similar principles as the sol–gel process, which has also been used to synthesize HEOs. [9] [10] Polymeric steric entrapment requires water-soluble compounds containing the desired metal cation (e.g., metal acetates, metal chlorides) to be placed in a solution with water and a water-soluble polymer (e.g., PVA, PEG). In solution, the cations are thoroughly mixed and held close together by the polymer chains. [11] The water is driven off to produce a foam whose organic components are burned off with a calcining step, producing a fine and pure mixed oxide powder, [12] which may be pressed into a green body and sintered. This method was first reported by Nguyen et al. in 2011. [12] In 2017, Kriven and Tseng reported the first polymeric steric entrapment HEO synthesis. [13]
Polymeric steric entrapment can be used to synthesize bulk HEO samples that are difficult to successfully synthesize the solid-state method. For example, Musico et al. synthesized the high entropy cuprate (LaNdGdTbDy)0.4CuO4 using solid-state reaction and polymeric steric entrapment. [11] X-ray diffraction of the sample prepared with solid-state reaction showed small inclusions of a second phase, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed inhomogeneous distributions of some cations. Neither impurity peaks nor evidence of inhomogeneous cation distribution was found in the sample of this material prepared with polymeric steric entrapment.
Other techniques that have been used to synthesize HEOs include:
The first HEOs synthesized had the rock-salt structure. Since then, the family of HEOs has expanded to include perovskite, spinel, fluorite, and other structures. [22] [11] [23] [24] [25] [26] Some of these structures, such as the perovskite structure, are notable in that they have two cation sites, each of which may independently possess compositional disorder. For example, high entropy perovskites (GdLaNdSmY)0.2MnO3 (A-site configurational entropy), Gd(CoCrFeMnNi)0.2O3 (B-site configurational entropy), and (GdLaNdSmY)0.2(CoCrFeMnNi)0.2O3 (A-site and B-site configurational entropy) have been synthesized. [27] [28]
Structure | Example | Reference |
---|---|---|
Rock Salt | (MgNiCuCoZn)0.2O | Rost et al [1] |
Fluorite | (GdLaCeHfZr)0.2O2 and (GdLaYHfZr)0.202; (CeZrHfSnTi)0.2O2 | Anandkumar et al; [29] Chen et al [26] |
Spinel | (CoCrFeMnNi)0.6O4 | Dabrowa et al [23] |
Perovskite | Sr(ZrSnTiHfMn)0.2O3 | Jiang et al [24] |
Pyrochlore | (GdEuSmNdLa)0.4Zr2O7 | Teng et al [25] |
Cuprate Perovskite | (LaNdGdTbDy)0.4CuO4 | Musico et al [11] |
In contrast to HEAs, which are typically investigated for their mechanical properties, HEOs are often studied as functional materials. The original HEO, (MgNiCuCoZn)0.2O, has been investigated as a promising material for applications in energy production and storage, e.g. as anode material in Li-ion batteries, [30] or as large k dielectric material, [31] or in catalysis. [32] [33]
It has been shown that increasing the configurational entropy of a material reduces its lattice thermal conductivity. [34] Correspondingly, HEOs typically have lower thermal conductivities than materials with the same crystal structure and only one cation per lattice site. [35] [36] The thermal conductivity of HEOs is usually greater than or comparable to the thermal conductivity of amorphous materials containing the same components. [3] However, crystalline materials typically have higher elastic moduli than amorphous materials of the same components. The combination of these factors leads to HEOs occupying a unique region of the property space by having the highest elastic modulus to thermal conductivity ratios of all materials. [35]
HEOs enhance functional property tunability through cation selection. Magnetic, [37] [38] catalytic, [39] and thermophysical [40] properties may be tuned by modifying the cation composition of a given HEO. Many material applications demand a highly specific set of properties. For example, thermal barrier coatings require thermal expansion coefficient matching with a metal surface, high-temperature phase stability, low thermal conductivity, and chemical inertness, among other properties. [41] Due to their innate tunability, HEOs have been proposed as candidates for advanced material applications such as thermal barrier coatings. [40]
The definition of high-entropy oxide is debated. In oxide literature, the term is commonly used to refer to any oxide with at least five principal cations. [42] However, it has been suggested that this is a misnomer, as most reports neglect to calculate configurational entropy. [42] Additionally, a survey of 10 HEOs found that only 3 were entropy-stabilized. [43] It has been suggested that the term HEO be replaced with three terms: compositionally complex oxide, high-entropy oxide, and entropy-stabilized oxide. [42] In this scheme, compositionally complex refers to materials with multiple elements occupying the same sublattice, high-entropy refers to materials where configurational entropy plays a role in stabilization, and entropy-stabilized refers to materials where entropy dominates the enthalpy term and is necessary for the formation of a crystalline phase.
A perovskite is any material with a crystal structure following the formula ABX3, which was first discovered as the mineral called perovskite, which consists of calcium titanium oxide (CaTiO3). The mineral was first discovered in the Ural mountains of Russia by Gustav Rose in 1839 and named after Russian mineralogist L. A. Perovski (1792–1856). 'A' and 'B' are two positively charged ions (i.e. cations), often of very different sizes, and X is a negatively charged ion (an anion, frequently oxide) that bonds to both cations. The 'A' atoms are generally larger than the 'B' atoms. The ideal cubic structure has the B cation in 6-fold coordination, surrounded by an octahedron of anions, and the A cation in 12-fold cuboctahedral coordination. Additional perovskite forms may exist where either/both the A and B sites have a configuration of A1x-1A2x and/or B1y-1B2y and the X may deviate from the ideal coordination configuration as ions within the A and B sites undergo changes in their oxidation states.
Yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) is a family of crystalline chemical compounds that display high-temperature superconductivity; it includes the first material ever discovered to become superconducting above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen [77 K ] at about 93 K.
Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula ZnO. It is a white powder which is insoluble in water. ZnO is used as an additive in numerous materials and products including cosmetics, food supplements, rubbers, plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, lubricants, paints, sunscreens, ointments, adhesives, sealants, pigments, foods, batteries, ferrites, fire retardants, semi conductors, and first-aid tapes. Although it occurs naturally as the mineral zincite, most zinc oxide is produced synthetically.
A solid oxide fuel cell is an electrochemical conversion device that produces electricity directly from oxidizing a fuel. Fuel cells are characterized by their electrolyte material; the SOFC has a solid oxide or ceramic electrolyte.
Negative thermal expansion (NTE) is an unusual physicochemical process in which some materials contract upon heating, rather than expand as most other materials do. The most well-known material with NTE is water at 0 to 3.98 °C. Also, the density of solid water (ice) is lower than the density of liquid water at standard pressure. Water's NTE is the reason why water ice floats, rather than sinks, in liquid water. Materials which undergo NTE have a range of potential engineering, photonic, electronic, and structural applications. For example, if one were to mix a negative thermal expansion material with a "normal" material which expands on heating, it could be possible to use it as a thermal expansion compensator that might allow for forming composites with tailored or even close to zero thermal expansion.
A ferrite is one of a family of iron oxide-containing magnetic ceramic materials. They are ferrimagnetic, meaning they are attracted by magnetic fields and can be magnetized to become permanent magnets. Unlike many ferromagnetic materials, most ferrites are not electrically conductive, making them useful in applications like magnetic cores for transformers to suppress eddy currents.
In nanotechnology, nanorods are one morphology of nanoscale objects. Each of their dimensions range from 1–100 nm. They may be synthesized from metals or semiconducting materials. Standard aspect ratios are 3-5. Nanorods are produced by direct chemical synthesis. A combination of ligands act as shape control agents and bond to different facets of the nanorod with different strengths. This allows different faces of the nanorod to grow at different rates, producing an elongated object.
A protonic ceramic fuel cell or PCFC is a fuel cell based around a ceramic, solid, electrolyte material as the proton conductor from anode to cathode. These fuel cells produce electricity by removing an electron from a hydrogen atom, pushing the charged hydrogen atom through the ceramic membrane, and returning the electron to the hydrogen on the other side of the ceramic membrane during a reaction with oxygen. The reaction of many proposed fuels in PCFCs produce electricity and heat, the latter keeping the device at a suitable temperature. Efficient proton conductivity through most discovered ceramic electrolyte materials require elevated operational temperatures around 400-700 degrees Celsius, however intermediate temperature (200-400 degrees Celsius) ceramic fuel cells and lower temperature alternative are an active area of research. In addition to hydrogen gas, the ability to operate at intermediate and high temperatures enables the use of a variety of liquid hydrogen carrier fuels, including: ammonia, and methane. The technology shares the thermal and kinetic advantages of high temperature molten carbonate and solid oxide fuel cells, while exhibiting all of the intrinsic benefits of proton conduction in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC). PCFCs exhaust water at the cathode and unused fuel, fuel reactant products and fuel impurities at the anode. Common chemical compositions of the ceramic membranes are barium zirconate (BaZrO3), barium cerate (BaCeO3), caesium dihydrogen phosphate (CsH2PO4), and complex solid solutions of those materials with other ceramic oxides. The acidic oxide ceramics are sometimes broken into their own class of protonic ceramic fuel cells termed "solid acid fuel cells".
Gallium(III) oxide is an inorganic compound and ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductor with the formula Ga2O3. It is actively studied for applications in power electronics, phosphors, and gas sensing. The compound has several polymorphs, of which the monoclinic β-phase is the most stable. The β-phase’s bandgap of 4.7–4.9 eV and large-area, native substrates make it a promising competitor to GaN and SiC-based power electronics applications and solar-blind UV photodetectors. The orthorhombic ĸ-Ga2O3 is the second most stable polymorph. The ĸ-phase has shown instability of subsurface doping density under thermal exposure. Ga2O3 exhibits reduced thermal conductivity and electron mobility by an order of magnitude compared to GaN and SiC, but is predicted to be significantly more cost-effective due to being the only wide-bandgap material capable of being grown from melt. β-Ga2O3 is thought to be radiation-hard, which makes it promising for military and space applications.
Copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) is a quaternary semiconducting compound which has received increasing interest since the late 2000s for applications in thin film solar cells. The class of related materials includes other I2-II-IV-VI4 such as copper zinc tin selenide (CZTSe) and the sulfur-selenium alloy CZTSSe. CZTS offers favorable optical and electronic properties similar to CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide), making it well suited for use as a thin-film solar cell absorber layer, but unlike CIGS (or other thin films such as CdTe), CZTS is composed of only abundant and non-toxic elements. Concerns with the price and availability of indium in CIGS and tellurium in CdTe, as well as toxicity of cadmium have been a large motivator to search for alternative thin film solar cell materials. The power conversion efficiency of CZTS is still considerably lower than CIGS and CdTe, with laboratory cell records of 11.0 % for CZTS and 12.6 % for CZTSSe as of 2019.
Geikielite is a magnesium titanium oxide mineral with formula: MgTiO3. It is a member of the ilmenite group. It crystallizes in the trigonal system forming typically opaque, black to reddish black crystals.
The spinels are any of a class of minerals of general formulation AB
2X
4 which crystallise in the cubic (isometric) crystal system, with the X anions arranged in a cubic close-packed lattice and the cations A and B occupying some or all of the octahedral and tetrahedral sites in the lattice. Although the charges of A and B in the prototypical spinel structure are +2 and +3, respectively, other combinations incorporating divalent, trivalent, or tetravalent cations, including magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese, aluminium, chromium, titanium, and silicon, are also possible. The anion is normally oxygen; when other chalcogenides constitute the anion sublattice the structure is referred to as a thiospinel.
A perovskite solar cell (PSC) is a type of solar cell that includes a perovskite-structured compound, most commonly a hybrid organic–inorganic lead or tin halide-based material as the light-harvesting active layer. Perovskite materials, such as methylammonium lead halides and all-inorganic cesium lead halide, are cheap to produce and simple to manufacture.
Antiperovskites is a type of crystal structure similar to the perovskite structure that is common in nature. The key difference is that the positions of the cation and anion constituents are reversed in the unit cell structure. In contrast to perovskite, antiperovskite compounds consist of two types of anions coordinated with one type of cation. Antiperovskite compounds are an important class of materials because they exhibit interesting and useful physical properties not found in perovskite materials, including as electrolytes in solid-state batteries.
High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are alloys that are formed by mixing equal or relatively large proportions of (usually) five or more elements. Prior to the synthesis of these substances, typical metal alloys comprised one or two major components with smaller amounts of other elements. For example, additional elements can be added to iron to improve its properties, thereby creating an iron-based alloy, but typically in fairly low proportions, such as the proportions of carbon, manganese, and others in various steels. Hence, high-entropy alloys are a novel class of materials. The term "high-entropy alloys" was coined by Taiwanese scientist Jien-Wei Yeh because the entropy increase of mixing is substantially higher when there is a larger number of elements in the mix, and their proportions are more nearly equal. Some alternative names, such as multi-component alloys, compositionally complex alloys and multi-principal-element alloys are also suggested by other researchers.
Nickel forms a series of mixed oxide compounds which are commonly called nickelates. A nickelate is an anion containing nickel or a salt containing a nickelate anion, or a double compound containing nickel bound to oxygen and other elements. Nickel can be in different or even mixed oxidation states, ranging from +1, +2, +3 to +4. The anions can contain a single nickel ion, or multiple to form a cluster ion. The solid mixed oxide compounds are often ceramics, but can also be metallic. They have a variety of electrical and magnetic properties. Rare-earth elements form a range of perovskite nickelates, in which the properties vary systematically as the rare-earth element changes. Fine tuning of properties is achievable with mixtures of elements, applying stress or pressure, or varying the physical form.
HKUST-1, which is also called MOF-199, is a material in the class of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Metal-organic frameworks are crystalline materials, in which metals are linked by ligands to form repeating coordination motives extending in three dimensions. The HKUST-1 framework is built up of dimeric metal units, which are connected by benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate linker molecules. The paddlewheel unit is the commonly used structural motif to describe the coordination environment of the metal centers and also called secondary building unit (SBU) of the HKUST-1 structure. The paddlewheel is built up of four benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate linkers molecules, which bridge two metal centers. One water molecules is coordinated to each of the two metal centers at the axial position of the paddlewheel unit in the hydrated state, which is usually found if the material is handled in air. After an activation process, these water molecules can be removed and the coordination site at the metal atoms is left unoccupied. This unoccupied coordination site is called coordinatively unsaturated site (CUS) and can be accessed by other molecules.
High-entropy-alloy nanoparticles (HEA-NPs) are nanoparticles having five or more elements alloyed in a single-phase solid solution structure. HEA-NPs possess a wide range of compositional library, distinct alloy mixing structure, and nanoscale size effect, giving them huge potential in catalysis, energy, environmental, and biomedical applications.
Nickel niobate is a complex oxide which as a solid material has found potential applications in catalysis and lithium batteries.
Elastocaloric materials are a class of advanced materials. These materials show a big change in temperature when mechanical stress is applied and then removed.