Multifunctional High Entropy Alloy Enabled by Severe Lattice Distortion.

Since 2004, the design of high entropy alloys (HEAs) has generated significant interest within the materials science community due to their exceptional structural and functional properties. By incorporating multiple principal elements into a common lattice, it is possible to create a single-phase crystal with a highly distorted lattice. This unique feature enables HEAs to offer a promising combination of mechanical and physical properties that are not typically observed in conventional alloys. In this article, we provide an extensive overview of multifunctional HEAs that exhibit severe lattice distortion, covering the theoretical models that were developed to understand lattice distortion, the experimental and computational methods employed to characterize lattice distortion, and most importantly, the impact of severe lattice distortion on the mechanical, physical and electrochemical properties of HEAs. Through this review, we hope to stimulate further research into the study of distorted lattices in crystalline solids. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.