New class of high-entropy pseudobrookite titanate with excellent thermal stability,low thermal expansion coefficient,and low thermal conductivity

As a type of titanate,the pseudobrookite(MTi_(2)O_(5)/M_(2)TiO_(5))exhibits a low thermal expansion coefficient and thermal conductivity,as well as excellent dielectric and solar spectrum absorption properties.However,the pseudobrookite is unstable and prone to decomposing below 1200℃,which limits the practical application of the pseudobrookite.In this paper,the high-entropy pseudobrookite ceramic is synthesized for the first time.The pure high-entropy(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) with the pseudobrookite structure and the biphasic high-entropy ceramic composed of the highentropy pseudobrookite(Cr,Mn,Fe,Al,Ga)_(2)TiO_(5) and the high-entropy spinel(Cr,Mn,Fe,Al,Ga,Ti)_(3)O_(4) are successfully prepared by the in-situ solid-phase reaction method.The comparison between the theoretical crystal structure of the pseudobrookite and the aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy(AC-STEM)images of high-entropy(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) shows that the metal ions(M and Ti ions)are disorderly distributed at the A site and the B site in high-entropy(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5),leading to an unprecedentedly high configurational entropy of high-entropy(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5).The bulk high-entropy(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) ceramics exhibit a low thermal expansion coefficient of 6.35×10^(−6) K^(−1) in the temperature range of 25-1400℃ and thermal conductivity of 1.840 W·m^(−1)·K^(−1) at room temperature,as well as the excellent thermal stability at 200,600,and 1400℃.Owing to these outstanding properties,high-entropy(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) is expected to be the promising candidate for high-temperature thermal insulation.This work has further extended the family of different crystal structures of high-entropy ceramics reported to date.