Amorphous high-entropy Co3B-HEA: Enhanced NaBH4 hydrolysis catalysis via multi-element synergy

High-entropy materials, with their multi-element synergistic effects, offer abundant active sites, holding great promise for designing efficient catalysts for sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ) hydrolysis. Herein, we for the first time synthesize a metal-rich amorphous high-entropy compound Co 3 B‒HEA via a hydrothermal-chemical reduction method, constructing a novel “high-entropy matrix-boride” composite catalytic system. Experimental results demonstrate that Co 3 B‒HEA achieves a maximum hydrogen generation rate (HGR) of 8539.2 mL min −1 g cat −1 at 25 °C. Systematic characterizations reveal three key structural innovations: uniformly distributed multi-metallic active sites, a unique amorphous structure, and strong electronic interactions between Co 3 B and the HEA matrix. Kinetic studies demonstrate zero-order reaction behavior with respect to NaBH 4 concentration and a low activation energy (47.24 kJ mol −1 ), indicating enhanced reaction efficiency. Based on the Michaelis–Menten model, we propose a novel multi-element synergistic activation mechanism: Ru, Co, Fe, Ni, and Mo collectively activate B H 4 - and H 2 O molecules, fundamentally boosting the NaBH 4 hydrolysis rate. Moreover, hydrogen generated from NaBH 4 hydrolysis by the Co 3 B‒HEA catalyst was used directly to drive a custom H 2 -air fuel cell, successfully lighting up small light bulbs and demonstrating its potential for practical applications. This work offers a novel strategy for designing high-performance catalysts for hydrogen production and their practical energy utilization.