Core-shell high-entropy alloy catalyst

Near-doubled H₂ evolution

Synergistic micro-galvanic and interfacial effects of the core-shell HEA disrupt passivation, enabling rapid and sustained hydrogen evolution from Mg hydrolysis.

Haixin, Xu · Hengheng, Lv · Xin, Fang · Luo, Xianfu · Long, Shuai · Cheng, Zhang · Xin, Wan · Peng, Peng

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2026

Specifications

Standard-state hydrogen yield
{'zh': '~700', 'en': '~700'} mL g⁻¹
As-measured wet-gas volume
{'zh': '810', 'en': '810'} mL g⁻¹
Conversion of active Mg
{'zh': '~89', 'en': '~89'} %
Maximum H₂ generation rate increase
{'zh': '96', 'en': '96'} %
Apparent activation energy
{'zh': '22.15', 'en': '22.15'} kJ mol⁻¹

Advantages

H₂ rate nearly doubled

The HEA promotes preferential Mg dissolution, disrupts the compact Mg(OH)₂ layer, and facilitates interfacial electron transfer, increasing the maximum H₂ generation rate by 96%.

Reaction barrier greatly reduced

The apparent activation energy decreases from 58.48 to 22.15 kJ mol⁻¹, indicating markedly accelerated reaction kinetics.

Overcomes Mg(OH)₂ passivation

The HEA catalyst disrupts the formation of a compact Mg(OH)₂ layer, sustaining continuous hydrogen evolution instead of termination by passivation.

Applications