High-entropy van der Waals materials formed from mixed metal dichalcogenides, halides and phosphorus trisulfides

TL;DR

This paper introduces high-entropy van der Waals materials combining multiple metallic elements in layered structures, enabling tunable physical properties and potential for advanced technological applications.

Contribution

It designs and synthesizes a new class of layered high-entropy materials from dichalcogenides, halides, and phosphorus trisulfides, demonstrating their homogeneous composition and diverse physical properties.

Findings

Homogeneous millimeter-scale single crystals can be efficiently produced.

Materials exhibit properties like superconductivity, magnetism, and metal-insulator transitions.

Potential for high-throughput design of novel functional materials.

Abstract

The charge, spin, and composition degrees of freedom in high-entropy alloy endow it with tunable valence and spin states, infinite combinations and excellent mechanical performance. Meanwhile, the stacking, interlayer, and angle degrees of freedom in van der Waals material bring it with exceptional features and technological applications. Integration of these two distinct material categories while keeping their merits would be tempting. Based on this heuristic thinking, we design and explore a new range of materials (i.e., dichalcogenides, halides and phosphorus trisulfides) with multiple metallic constitutions and intrinsic layered structure, which are coined as high-entropy van der Waals materials. Millimeter-scale single crystals with homogeneous element distribution can be efficiently acquired and easily exfoliated or intercalated in this materials category. Multifarious physical properties like superconductivity, magnetic ordering, metal-insulator transition and corrosion resistance have been exploited. Further research based on the concept of high-entropy van der Waals materials will enrich the high-throughput design of new systems with intriguing properties and practical applications.