A review of properties and applications of utilization of high entropy alloys in oxygen evolution reactions

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are composed of five or more atomic components, forming a homogeneous solid solution with a highly disordered crystal structure. This unique structure can increase the number and diversity of surface active sites, which is conducive to improving the rate and selectivity of catalytic reactions. Additionally, it exhibits good catalytic activity, stability, and antioxidant properties. This paper detailedly discusses the preparation method, structural characteristics, and application in catalysis of HEAs catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Different methods can control the composition and microstructure of the alloy, thereby affecting the catalytic performance. Through density functional theory (DFT) studies on HEAs, it is demonstrated that Gibbs free energy is reduced, further confirming the effect of HEAs on OER performance. The various techniques for preparing HEAs and their derivatives, as well as the incorporation of different elements, are summarized. These different methods and introductions can synthesize diverse catalyst structures with evaluated electrocatalytic performances. HEAs catalysts can utilize waste metals or recycled materials along with green synthesis methods, making them promising in terms of sustainability and environmental protection to promote sustainable development and application of catalytic technology.