Unveiling interfacial migration and atomic diffusion in graphene- reinforced high-entropy alloys

PF Wu and W Zhang and WY Feng and CQ Lin and GJ Sun and ZD Lin and MB Liu, JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS, 1045, 184822 (2025).

DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2025.184822

Interfacial migration and atomic diffusion are pivotal to the microstructural stability and mechanical performance of high-entropy alloys (HEAs), yet their regulation by temperature and graphene remains incompletely understood. Here, we systematically probe how these factors dictate HEA interface dynamics. Low temperatures drive interfacial diffusion-mediated decomposition, while elevated temperatures suppress this via enhanced stability-aligning with experimental observations. Temperature modulates diffusion kinetics: pores exhibit higher diffusion coefficients pre-closure, with a marked drop post-closure, alongside directional atomic flux (surface-to-center in pores, intergranular across grain boundaries). Graphene exerts dual effects: pre-pore closure, it bridges pores and facilitates surface diffusion via reduced resistance; post-closure, it impedes atomic transport and dislocation glide between misoriented grains. These findings, which highlight the sensitivity of HEA interfacial behavior to thermal and compositional tuning, offer a mechanistic basis for engineering alloys with tailored stability and mechanical performance through precise control of temperature and graphene integration.

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