Ye Junwei, a distinguished professor in the Department of Materials Science at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), was recently elected as a new academician of the Academia Sinica. He has also published a significant paper titled "Clarifying the Four Major Effects of High-Entropy Materials" in Nature Reviews Chemistry. In this paper, he discusses the four core effects of high-entropy materials: high entropy, severe lattice distortion, slow diffusion, and the cocktail effect. He also proposes new energy solutions for the future, which have attracted research interest from countries in Europe, America, and beyond.
NTHU noted that Ye Junwei is known as the "Father of High-Entropy Alloys." His high-entropy theory and empirical findings have revolutionized traditional thinking by enhancing disorder to generate high mixing entropy. This allows for the synthesis of five or more metals in equal or unequal proportions, creating stronger, more resilient, more ductile alloys with high temperature and corrosion resistance. His work has led to significant contributions from the U.S. Department of Energy, various military laboratories, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and other national labs in developing high-entropy alloys. Various high-entropy materials, such as high-entropy alloys, ceramics, and polymers, have already been developed.
Ye Junwei believes that one of the most promising high-entropy materials for the future is high-entropy catalysts, which could overcome the limitations of using precious metals in water electrolysis for hydrogen production, addressing future energy challenges. For example, Denmark established a high-entropy catalyst research center a few years ago. The high-temperature and radiation-resistant properties of high-entropy materials could help overcome material limitations in nuclear fusion reactors or systems.
In his newly published article, Ye explains the lattice distortion effect in high-entropy materials. The arrangement of different metal atoms is irregular, but lattice damage caused by radiation can self-correct, resulting in a "self-healing" phenomenon that astonishes many scientists. This feature allows high-entropy materials to resist radiation and withstand high temperatures, potentially leading the way in materials for nuclear fusion and space radiation protection.
Ye also elaborates on the cocktail effect, which involves designing optimal compositions and processes by leveraging the characteristics of various elements, their interactions, and structural factors. This approach improves material properties and enables diverse applications.
Notably, Ye Junwei is an alumnus of NTHU, having earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees there, making him a "Triple Tsinghua" graduate. NTHU is regarded as the birthplace of high-entropy alloys, and the university will continue to play a leading role in this field.