RuCo High-Entropy Oxide Catalyst

Efficient NH3 synthesis under mild conditions

In situ reconstruction forms RuCo nanoalloys anchored on rare-earth oxide nanoislands, simultaneously achieving active site exposure and strong metal-promoter interaction, overcoming the trade-off between promoter segregation and active site blockage.

Wang, Xiuyun · Yu, Jiahao · Zhang, Yangyu · Zhou, Yanliang · Haifeng, Qi · Zheng, Lirong · Wang, Junjie · Jiang, Lilong · HOSONO, Hideo

Angewandte Chemie - International Edition 2026

Specifications

NH3 synthesis rate

{'zh': '58.2', 'en': '58.2'} mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹

NH3 outlet concentration

{'zh': '2.41', 'en': '2.41'} %

Advantages

Active sites stay exposed

In situ reconstruction yields RuCo nanoalloys with strong interaction to rare-earth oxide yet still exposed, avoiding the blocking of active sites typical of strong metal-support interactions.

No promoter segregation

La/Ce/Sm promoters in the high-entropy oxide are converted into rare-earth oxide nanoislands that anchor RuCo nanoalloys, preventing segregation typical of weak interactions.

Easier NH3 desorption

Alloying Ru with Co lowers the d-band center, weakening NH3 adsorption and thus promoting desorption to free active sites.

Applications

• Green ammonia synthesis：Replaces Haber-Bosch process by achieving near-equilibrium NH3 yield at mild conditions.
• Electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis：The design strategy of balancing active sites and promoters can inspire electrocatalyst development.
• Heterogeneous catalysis：Provides a new route to tune metal-support interactions via in situ reconstruction of high-entropy oxides.
• Hydrogen energy carrier：Offers a catalyst solution for efficient NH3 synthesis as a hydrogen carrier under mild conditions.