High-Entropy Materials: from Bulk to Sub-nano

Abstract

High-entropy materials (HEMs), characterized by their unique compositions involving multiple principal elements and inherent configurational disorder, have emerged as a focal point of material science research since their introduction, owing to their exceptional structural stability and superior performance. The distinctive features of HEMs, including the high-entropy effect, lattice distortion, sluggish diffusion, and the cocktail effect, have enabled their wide-ranging applications in fields such as energy storage, catalysis, electronic devices, and beyond. This review systematically documents the evolution of HEMs synthesis, from traditional melting-based methods for bulk material production to recent breakthroughs addressing the limitations of elemental immiscibility, ultimately enabling the precise multi-path synthesis of nano- and sub-nano materials. It comprehensively examines the controllable synthesis strategies across various dimensional scales, the principles of composition-structure design, the precise regulation of multidimensional morphologies, and the multifunctional properties and applications enabled by the materials' multi-component characteristics. Furthermore, this work prospectively explores emerging strategies that could drive the future development of HEMs, with particular emphasis on the potential synergies between high-throughput experimentation, data-driven approaches, chiral factors, entropy-driven strategies, and advanced high-resolution characterization techniques.