A review of high-entropy transition metal carbides/nitrides: Properties, applications, and synthesis methods

Abstract

In recent years, the rapid development of rechargeable ion batteries has imposed increasingly higher demands on the performance of electrode materials. Transition metal carbides/nitrides, as two-dimensional materials, have been widely studied in the field of energy storage worldwide due to their high specific surface area and inherent excellent electrical conductivity. High-entropy transition metal carbides/nitrides, as an emerging subfamily of transition metal carbides/nitrides, inherit the superior properties of traditional transition metal carbides/nitrides while possessing unique high-entropy characteristics, which endow them with considerable application potential in energy storage. However, systematic reviews on their preparation processes are still relatively scarce. This article comprehensively summarizes the latest key research progress of high-entropy transition metal carbides/nitrides in terms of preparation, performance, and application, and further explores their performance optimization strategies and promising new preparation methods.