Opportunities and Challenges of Black Phosphorus for Electrocatalysis and Rechargeable Batteries

As an emerging 2D layered material, black phosphorus (BP) has received intensive attention in recent years, particularly in electrocatalysis and rechargeable batteries. With further structural modifications, BP-based heterostructured composites have exhibited attractive physical and chemical properties regarding to enhanced conductivity, ion transport, and catalysis activity, endowing them as potential candidates for electrochemical ions storage and electro/chemical catalysis. In this perspective, a brief summary is first given on the recent progress of BP and BP-derived materials in electrocatalysis, such as hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), and in rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs), followed by a critical review on the current opportunities and challenges. It is expected that this class of emerging materials will bring about new potential solutions to address the current energy crisis and inspire researchers to develop more novel materials toward future multifunctional applications.