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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.13803 |
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| _version_ | 1866912834628091904 |
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| author | Joo, Miran Xiu, Huixin Baha, Sabrina Zerdoumi, Ridha Cheng, Ningyan Somsen, Christoph Li, Yujiao Kostka, Aleksander Schuhmann, Wolfgang Ludwig, Alfred Scheu, Christina |
| author_facet | Joo, Miran Xiu, Huixin Baha, Sabrina Zerdoumi, Ridha Cheng, Ningyan Somsen, Christoph Li, Yujiao Kostka, Aleksander Schuhmann, Wolfgang Ludwig, Alfred Scheu, Christina |
| contents | Compositionally complex solid solutions (CCSSs) consist of a randomly mixed single phase with the potential to enhance electrocatalytic activity through their polyelemental surface atom arrangements. However, microstructural complexity originating from multiple principal elements influences local structure, chemistry, and lattice strain, which might also affect electrocatalytic activity. Here, we investigate the effect of Ru content on electrochemistry and defect formation in Au-Pd-Pt-Ru CCSS thin films. Such defects could provide active sites when terminating at the CCSS surface or modify surface composition through preferential segregation. A thin-film material library covering a wide composition range was fabricated by room-temperature combinatorial co-sputtering. High-throughput compositional, structural and functional characterization, including electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electrochemical screening, were used to correlate composition and microstructural features with catalytic activity. Three representative compositions selected from the library - Au68Pd13Pt15Ru4, Au27Pd24Pt23Ru26, and Au9Pd21Pt18Ru52 - were examined in detail. The three samples exhibit face-centered cubic structures, with lattice contraction occurring with increasing Ru content. In addition, with increasing Ru content, a transition from a high density of nanotwins to high-density, atomic-layer stacking faults was observed. Moreover, the hydrogen evolution reaction activity improves with higher Ru content. Atom probe tomography reveals local compositional fluctuations, including element-specific enrichment and depletion at grain boundaries. The findings provide a new insight into surface atom arrangement design in the CCSS electrocatalysts with enhanced performance. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_13803 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Influence of Ru content on electrocatalytic activity and defect formation of Au-Pd-Pt-Ru compositionally complex solid solution thin films Joo, Miran Xiu, Huixin Baha, Sabrina Zerdoumi, Ridha Cheng, Ningyan Somsen, Christoph Li, Yujiao Kostka, Aleksander Schuhmann, Wolfgang Ludwig, Alfred Scheu, Christina Materials Science Compositionally complex solid solutions (CCSSs) consist of a randomly mixed single phase with the potential to enhance electrocatalytic activity through their polyelemental surface atom arrangements. However, microstructural complexity originating from multiple principal elements influences local structure, chemistry, and lattice strain, which might also affect electrocatalytic activity. Here, we investigate the effect of Ru content on electrochemistry and defect formation in Au-Pd-Pt-Ru CCSS thin films. Such defects could provide active sites when terminating at the CCSS surface or modify surface composition through preferential segregation. A thin-film material library covering a wide composition range was fabricated by room-temperature combinatorial co-sputtering. High-throughput compositional, structural and functional characterization, including electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electrochemical screening, were used to correlate composition and microstructural features with catalytic activity. Three representative compositions selected from the library - Au68Pd13Pt15Ru4, Au27Pd24Pt23Ru26, and Au9Pd21Pt18Ru52 - were examined in detail. The three samples exhibit face-centered cubic structures, with lattice contraction occurring with increasing Ru content. In addition, with increasing Ru content, a transition from a high density of nanotwins to high-density, atomic-layer stacking faults was observed. Moreover, the hydrogen evolution reaction activity improves with higher Ru content. Atom probe tomography reveals local compositional fluctuations, including element-specific enrichment and depletion at grain boundaries. The findings provide a new insight into surface atom arrangement design in the CCSS electrocatalysts with enhanced performance. |
| title | Influence of Ru content on electrocatalytic activity and defect formation of Au-Pd-Pt-Ru compositionally complex solid solution thin films |
| topic | Materials Science |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.13803 |