Towards Multicomponent Intermetallic Nanoparticles as Efficient and Low-Cost Catalysts

Multicomponent intermetallic compounds consisting of different transition metal elements with high/ medium entropy could be ideal candidates for catalysts in complex reactions. The possibility of electronic modification, isolation of active sites and structural stability in these compounds can result in excellent catalytic properties. Herein, we report a series of single-phase quinary antimonide intermetallic compounds with chemical composition of (NiCoFeCu)1-xSbx and hexagonal structure from bulk to nanoscale. The cat-alytic performance was examined in hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol using NaBH4. Structural and morphological characteristics of the samples before and after 10 runs of catalytic perfor-mance are described in detail. The kinetic rate constant for the best-synthesized sample (Nano40) is ten-fold compared to the bulk sample. All samples exhibit improved catalytic activity and extreme durability compared to the bimetallic nanoscale catalyst with the same structure. This significant enhance in catalytic activity of multicomponent structures makes them an attractive alternative to noble metal-based catalysts.(c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.