Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Dynamic Dissolution-Replenishment Equilibrium Enables Efficient and Durable Oxygen Evolution on Self-Reconstructing High-Entropy Alloys

  • Yi He
  • , Rui Li
  • , Yanan Zhang
  • , Zhibin Li
  • , Weihong Liu
  • , Xiongjun Liu
  • , Zhaoping Lu
  • Southeast University, Nanjing
  • Northwestern Polytechnical University Xian
  • University of Science and Technology Beijing
  • Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen)

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Achieving an efficient and stable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at industrial current densities remains challenging for non-noble electrocatalysts due to irreversible surface degradation under harsh oxidative conditions. Here, we report a FeCoNiCrW0.6 dual-phase high-entropy alloy electrocatalyst that undergoes controllable in situ surface reconstruction during high-current-density OER, enabling simultaneous high activity and exceptional durability. The reconstruction generates a honeycombed porous architecture covered by a multicomponent amorphous oxide layer, which promotes a transition from the adsorbate evolution mechanism to the lattice oxygen mechanism, thereby enhancing the intrinsic activity. More importantly, the catalyst maintains long-term stability through a dynamic dissolution-replenishment equilibrium, in which selective leaching of W and Cr from the underlying FCC matrix continuously regenerates the surface-active layer, while the high-entropy effect suppresses excessive degradation. As a result, the reconstructed catalyst delivers a low overpotential of 223 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and stable operation for over 700 h at ampere-level current densities. When implemented into an anion-exchange membrane electrolyzer, it enables efficient alkaline and seawater electrolysis at 1 A cm-2 with a low cell voltage of 1.79 V and excellent durability. This work establishes a dynamic self-reconstruction paradigm for designing stable, high-performance electrocatalysts for industrial water electrolysis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)21586-21598
Number of pages13
JournalACS Nano
Volume20
Issue number31
DOIs
StatePublished - 11 Aug 2026
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • dynamic surface reconstruction
  • high current density
  • high-entropy alloy
  • lattice oxygen mechanism
  • oxygen evolution reaction

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Dynamic Dissolution-Replenishment Equilibrium Enables Efficient and Durable Oxygen Evolution on Self-Reconstructing High-Entropy Alloys'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this