Fast and High-Throughput Synthesis of Medium- and High-Entropy Alloys Using Radio Frequency Inductively Coupled Plasma

Abstract

Multi-principal element alloys, or medium- and high-entropy alloys (MEAs and HEAs), hold great potential for numerous structural and functional applications, yet the synthesis of such alloys out of a vast composition space is a daunting task. Here, we report a radio frequency inductively coupled plasma (RF-ICP) method for preparing bulk MEAs and HEAs in a rapid and high-throughput fashion. Typical MEAs and HEAs are successfully synthesized within 40 s per alloy, thereby greatly improving the fabrication efficiency and throughput. This method provides a new opportunity to accelerate the discovery of new complex alloys for a broad range of applications.