@article{Yang2026, 
author = {Chen Yang and Xing’an Dong and Xian Shi and Yuying Wang and Huirong Yuan and Wendong Zhang and Weidong Dai and Zhenxiang Cheng and Peng Yu and Fan Dong},
title = {Quaternary medium-entropy nanoalloys with crystalline/amorphous heterointerfaces for highly selective and stable photocatalytic nitrite reduction to ammonia},
year = {2026},
journal = {Nano Research},
volume = {19},
number = {12},
pages = {94909059},
keywords = {entropy engineering, crystalline/amorphous heterointerface, photocatalytic reduction, isotope labeling, in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR FT-IR)},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/NR.2026.94909059},
doi = {10.26599/NR.2026.94909059},
abstract = {Photocatalytic reduction of nitrite (NO2−) to ammonia (NH3) presents a sustainable path for wastewater remediation and nitrogen resource recovery. However, the sluggish seven-proton/six-electron (7H+/6e−) transfer kinetics and the formidable energy barrier of hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) limit its practical efficiency. Herein, we report a robust photocatalyst comprising quaternary medium entropy alloy (MEA) nanoparticles (Cu, Co, Ni, Zn) anchored on TiO2 nanosheets (TNS), featuring a tailor-made crystalline/amorphous heterointerfaces. The unique interfacial architecture synergistically optimizes the bidentate adsorption of nitrite and accelerates water dissociation, thereby lowering the activation energy for active hydrogen (*H) generation. Benefiting from the high-entropy-induced “sluggish diffusion” effect, the amorphous domains exhibit exceptional structure stability against photo-induced recrystallization. Consequently, the HH-CCNZ@TNS catalyst achieves a remarkable NH3 production efficiency of 99.69% with near 100% selectivity, maintaining superior durability over multiple cycles. This work underscores the potential of entropy engineering in coordinating multi-step proton/electron dynamics for advanced energy and environmental catalysis.}
}