A recent look at high-entropy ceramics based on doping engineering/technology and the future scope of their novel applications

The concept of high-entropy materials appeared first in 2004 when Y. Wu et al. made the first-ever high-entropy nitride films. With continuation in 2015, high-entropy ceramics were introduced by C.M. Rost. et al. for the very first time. High entropy ceramics (HECs) are novel materials having five or more than five cations or anions. The basic idea behind HECs is to induce high configurational entropy, which show unique properties. The compositional and structural diversity of HECs, along with having a bandgap, makes them potential candidates for a wide range of applications. Such diversity (in crystal and electronic structure) opens a new door for tuning the properties through band structure engineering. Recently, HECs have achieved much attention among scientists due to the unique combination of different properties offered by these materials resulting from the high degree of disorder and complexity at the atomic level. In this featured article, we critically review some recent advancements that may find use in a wide range of technological applications and the future scope of such a fascinating emerging and fast-growing field.