A Combinatorial Electrode for High‐Throughput, High‐Entropy Alloy Screening

Abstract

High‐entropy alloys (HEAs) have emerged as a promising material category with at least four primary metal ingredients. There are more than 90 types of metals in the periodic table, and thus the number of HEAs is huge if these elements are randomly grouped. In this regard, screening HEAs in an efficient way remains a challenge. Herein, we designed a combinatorial electrode that contains 8 or 28 sample holders in one electrode. In other words, we can prepare 8 or 28 different HEAs under the same conditions in one batch of electrolysis. The interaction between the electrode arrays was investigated. Simulations and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) results show that the composition of the electrolytic HEAs at every sample holder can be accurately controlled, because the oxide precursors and electrolytic products are insoluble in the molten salt. Therefore, a combinatorial electrode enables a high‐throughput way to prepare HEAs, which speeds up materials screening.

High-entropy alloy catalysts: high-throughput and machine learning-driven design

“…Conventional methods for the synthesis of HEAs, such as arc melting, laser cladding, thermal spray, spark plasma sintering and ball milling, are too time-consuming for use in HT techniques for the accelerated discovery of HEAs. To address this issue, our group reported a radio frequency inductively coupled plasma (RF-ICP) method to synthesize HEAs in a rapid and HT fashion [74] . The schematics of the experimental setup and HEA synthesis process using the RF-ICP system are presented in Figure 6A were also successfully synthesized with a low level of defects.…”

“…CALPHAD and ML model-based computational screening provided recommendations for composition selection and sample library design. The designed samples were synthesized, processed, characterized, tested and analyzed in an automated HT Reproduced with permission [74] . Copyright 2021, Wiley-VCH.…”

“…This work indicates that the rapid synthesis and compositional exploration of HEAs by HT techniques are very efficient for exploring HEA catalysts. The co-sputtering method has shown significant potential for the HT synthesis of HEAs due to the small grain size, few defects and low contamination in film samples [74,79] . More importantly, this HT co-sputtering approach has been utilized successfully to synthesize HEA catalysts and build a library.…”

“…(B) RF-ICP synthesis of HEAs using mixed pure metal powders. Fast RF-ICP synthesis of alloys using powder mixtures: (C) typical optical microscopy (OM) images showing the evolution of porosity in the Cu 50 Ni 50 alloy under different heating times; (D) temperature profile of RF-ICP synthesis.Reproduced with permission[74] . Copyright 2021, Wiley-VCH.…”