Construction\nof Local Electron-Rich Active Centers\nin High-Entropy Alloys via a Self-Reduction Way for Efficient Water\nOxidation

High-Entropy Alloys (HEAs) consisting of five or more\nelements\nin high concentrations have gained popularity as an ideal platform\nfor catalysts due to their unique chemical properties and physical\nstructure. However, facile synthesis methods are needed to overcome\nthe high energy consumption and stringent requirements of traditional\nHEAs fabrication. In this work, we designed a quinary FeCoNiVMo HEAs\ncatalyst, obtained through a one-step hydrothermal and self-reduction\ntreatment. The catalyst exhibits excellent OER performance with a\n289 mV overpotential to achieve 10 mA·cm<sup>–2</sup> in\nan alkaline medium and remarkable stability over 2000 min. The characterization\nresults show that the introduction of both V and Mo greatly improves\nthe electronic modulation among complex chemical compositions and\noptimizes electron transfer during OER. The DFT analysis revealed\nthat the active center received a greater influx of electrons due\nto the chemical interactions among the five metals, resulting in the\nformation of an electron-rich zone. The electron-rich zone could produce\nmore efficient active centers, and the polymetallic model enabled\na stronger electron-accepting capability at the active sites. This\nwas beneficial for enhancing the free-energy optimization of intermediate\nadsorption, thereby boosting the inherent catalytic activity. This\nwork provides a facile synthesis of high-entropy alloys using a formic\nacid ligand as a sacrificial reductant, and a reference worthy idea\nof the catalytic mechanism of HEAs, which provides favorable support\nfor the future development of a variety of low-cost transition metal\ncatalysts.