High-Entropy Layered Hydroxides: Pioneering Synthesis, Mechanistic Insights, and Multifunctional Applications in Sustainable Energy and Biomedicine

TL;DR

This paper explores high-entropy layered hydroxides (HELHs), their synthesis methods, and their potential in energy conversion and cancer treatment.

Contribution

The paper introduces advanced synthesis methods and demonstrates HELHs' dual potential in sustainable energy and biomedicine.

Findings

HELHs show superior electrochemical performance in oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions.

HELHs can generate reactive oxygen species for cancer treatment via photocatalysis.

Abstract

Synthesis Methodologies: We systematically investigate co-precipitation, framework-guided, and plasma-assisted hydrothermal methods for the synthesis of high-entropy layered hydroxides (HELHs), achieving precise control over the porosity, surface chemistry, and interfacial properties of ultrathin nanosheets through atomic-level mixing and defect engineering.Functional Mechanisms: HELHs possess compositional disorder, synergistic interactions among multiple components, lattice distortion-induced active sites, and inherent structural stability, collectively contributing to their superior electrochemical performance.Multifunctional Applications: HELHs excel as oxygen/hydrogen evolution reactions electrocatalysts for energy devices and enable photocatalytic reactive oxygen species generation for cancer treatment, underscoring their dual potential in sustainable energy conversion and biomedical therapeutics.

Synthesis Methodologies: We systematically investigate co-precipitation, framework-guided, and plasma-assisted hydrothermal methods for the synthesis of high-entropy layered hydroxides (HELHs), achieving precise control over the porosity, surface chemistry, and interfacial properties of ultrathin nanosheets through atomic-level mixing and defect engineering.

Functional Mechanisms: HELHs possess compositional disorder, synergistic interactions among multiple components, lattice distortion-induced active sites, and inherent structural stability, collectively contributing to their superior electrochemical performance.

Multifunctional Applications: HELHs excel as oxygen/hydrogen evolution reactions electrocatalysts for energy devices and enable photocatalytic reactive oxygen species generation for cancer treatment, underscoring their dual potential in sustainable energy conversion and biomedical therapeutics.

High-entropy layered hydroxides (HELHs), an emerging frontier in entropy-stabilized materials derived from layered double hydroxides (LDHs), have captivated attention with their unparalleled tunability, thermodynamic stability, and electrochemical performance. The integration of the high-entropy concept into LDHs empowers HELHs to surmount the constraints of conventional materials through compositional diversity, structurally disordered configurations, and synergistic multi-element interactions. This review systematically embarks on their synthesis methodologies, functional mechanisms, and applications in energy conversion/storage and biomedicine. Advanced synthesis strategies, such as plasma-assisted hydrothermal methods, facilitate precise control over HELH architectures while supporting scalable production. HELHs demonstrate superior electrochemical performance in critical reactions, including oxygen evolution reaction, water oxidation, hydrogen evolution, and glucose electrooxidation. Future directions encompass integrating in situ characterization with simulations, leveraging machine learning for composition screening, and expanding HELHs application through interdisciplinary collaborations. This work establishes a comprehensive roadmap for advancing HELHs as next-generation multifunctional platforms for sustainable energy and biomedical technologies.

Figures