Templated synthesis of transition metal phosphide electrocatalysts for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions

Transition metal phosphides(TMPs)have been regarded as alternative hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER)catalysts owing to their comparable activity to those of noble metal-based catalysts.TMPs have been produced in various morphologies,including hollow and porous nanostructures,which are features deemed desirable for electrocatalytic materials.Templated synthesis routes are often responsible for such morphologies.This paper reviews the latest advances and existing challenges in the synthesis of TMP-based OER and HER catalysts through templated methods.A comprehensive review of the structure-property-performance of TMP-based HER and OER catalysts prepared using different templates is presented.The discussion proceeds according to application,first by HER and further divided among the types of templates used-from hard templates,sacrificial templates,and soft templates to the emerging dynamic hydrogen bubble template.OER catalysts are then reviewed and grouped according to their morphology.Finally,prospective research directions for the synthesis of hollow and porous TMP-based catalysts,such as improvements on both activity and stability of TMPs,design of environmentally benign templates and processes,and analysis of the reaction mechanism through advanced material characterization techniques and theoretical calculations,are suggested.

Recent advances in transition metal phosphide materials:Synthesis and applications in supercapacitors

Supercapacitors(SCs)are considered promising energy storge systems because of their outstanding power density,fast charge and discharge rate and long-term cycling stability.The exploitation of cheap and efficient electrode materials is the key to improve the performance of supercapacitors.As the battery-type materials,transition metal phosphides(TMPs)possess high theoretical specific capacity,good electrical conductivity and superior structural stability,which have been extensively studied to be electrode materials for supercapacitors.In this review,we summarize the up-to-date progress on TMPs materials from diversified synthetic methods,diverse nanostructures and several prominent TMPs and their composites in application of supercapacitors.In the end,we also propose the remaining challenges toward the rational discovery and synthesis of high-performance TMP electrodes materials for energy storage.

A general synthetic strategy for N, P co-doped graphene supported metal-rich noble metal phosphides for hydrogen generation

The exploitation of electrocatalysts with high activity and durability for HER is desirable for future energy systems,but it is still a challenge.NMPs have attracted increasing attentions,but the preparation process often needs toxic regents or dangerous reaction conditions.Herein,we develop a general green method to fabricate metal-rich NMPs anchored on NPG through pyrolyzing DNA cross-linked complexes.The obtained Ru_(2) P-NPG exhibits an ultrasmall overpotential of 7 mV at 10 mA cm^(2) and ultralow Tafel slope of 33 mV dec^(-1) in 1.0 mol L?1 KOH,even better than that of commercial Pt/C.In addition,Ru 2 P-NPG also shows low overpotentials of 29 and 78 mV in 0.5 mol L^(-1) H_(2)SO_(4) and 1.0 mol L^(-1) PBS,respectively.The superior activity can be attributed to the ultrafine dispersion of Ru 2 P nanoparticles for more accessible sites,more defects formed for abundant active sites,the two-dimensional plane structure for accelerated electron transfer and mass transport,as well as the regulation of electron distribution of the catalyst.Moreover,the synthetic method can also be applied to prepare other metal-rich noble metal phosphides(Pd_(3)P-NPG and Rh_(2)P-NPG),which also exhibits high activity for HER.This work provides an effective strategy for designing NMP-based electrocatalysts.

Recent developments in metal phosphide and sulfide electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction

Oxygen evolution reaction(OER),as an important half‐reaction involved in water splitting,has been intensely studied since the last century.Transition metal phosphide and sulfide‐based compounds have attracted increasing attention as active OER catalysts due to their excellent physical and chemical characters,and massive efforts have been devoted to improving the phosphide and sulfide‐based materials with better activity and stability in recent years.In this review,the recent progress on phosphide and sulfide‐based OER electrocatalysts in terms of chemical properties,synthetic methodologies,catalytic performances evaluation and improvement strategy is reviewed.The most accepted reaction pathways as well as the thermodynamics and electrochemistry of the OER are firstly introduced in brief,followed by a summary of the recent research and optimization strategy of phosphide and sulfide‐based OER electrocatalysts.Finally,some mechanistic studies of the active phase of phosphide and sulfide‐based compounds are discussed to give insight into the nature of active catalytic sites.It is expected to indicate guidance for further improving the performances of phosphide and sulfide‐based OER electrocatalysts.

Strategies on improving the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performances of metal phosphides

Among the sustainable energy sources,hydrogen is the one most promising for alleviating the pollution issues related to the usage of conventional fuels,as it can be produced in an efficient and eco-friendly way via electrocatalytic water splitting.The hydrogen evolution reaction(HER,a half-reaction of water splitting)plays a pivotal role in decreasing the price and increasing the catalytic efficiency of hydrogen production and is efficiently promoted by metal phosphides in different electrolytes.Herein,we summarize the recent advances in the development of metal phosphides as HER electrocatalysts,focus on their synthesis(post-treatment,in situ generation,and electrodeposition methods)and the enhancement of their electrocatalytic activity(via elemental doping,interface and vacancy engineering,construction of specific supports and nanostructures,and the design of bior polymetallic phosphides),and highlight the crucial issues and challenges of future development.

Recent advances of metal phosphides for Li-S chemistry

Li-S batteries have been considered as one of advanced next-generation energy storage systems owing to their remarkable theoretical capacity(1672 m Ah g^(-1))and high energy density(2600 Wh kg^(-1)).However,critical issues,mainly pertaining to lithium polysulfide shuttle and slow sulfur reaction kinetics,have posed a fatal threat to the electrochemical performances of Li-S batteries.The situation is even worse for high sulfur-loaded and flexible cathodes,which are the essential components for practical Li-S batteries.In response,the use of metal compounds as electrocatalysts in Li-S systems have been confirmed as an effective strategy to date.Particularly,recent years have witnessed many progresses in phosphidesoptimized Li-S chemistry.This has been motivated by the superior electron conductivity and high electrocatalytic activity of phosphides.In this tutorial review,we offer a systematic summary of active metal phosphides as promoters for Li-S chemistry,aiming at helping to understanding the working mechanism of phosphide electrocatalysts and guiding the construction of advanced Li-S batteries.

Metal-organic frameworks derived transition metal phosphides for electrocatalytic water splitting

It is critical to synthesize high-efficiency electrocatalysts to boost the performance of water splitting to meet the requirements of industrial applications. Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs) can function as ideal molecular platforms for the design of highly reactive transition metal phosphides(TMPs), a kind of candidates for high-efficiently electrocatalytic water splitting. The intrinsic activity of the electrocatalysts can be greatly improved via modulating the electronic structure of the catalytic center through the MOF precursors/templates. Moreover, the carbon layer converted in-situ by the organic ligands can not only protect the TMPs from being degraded in the harsh electrochemical environments, but also avoid agglomeration of the catalysts, thereby promoting their activities and stabilities. Furthermore,heteroatom-containing ligands can incorporate N, S or P, etc. atoms into the carbon matrixes after conversion, regulating the coordination microenvironments of the active centers as well as their electronic structures. In this review, we first summarized the latest developments in MOF-derived TMPs by the unique advantages in metal, organic ligand, and morphology regulations for electrocatalytic water splitting. Secondly, we concluded the critical scientific issues currently facing for designing state-of-the-art TMP-based electrocatalysts. Finally, we presented an outlook on this research area, encompassing electrocatalyst construction, catalytic mechanism research, etc.

Multicomponent transition metal phosphide for oxygen evolution

Transition metal phosphides(TMPs)have exhibited decent performance in an oxygen evolution reaction(OER),which is a kinetic bottleneck in many energy storages and conversion systems.Most reported catalysts are composed of three or fewer metallic components.The inherent complexity of multicomponent TMPs with more than four metallic components hinders their investigation in rationally designing the structure and,more importantly,comprehending the component-activity correlation.Through hydrothermal growth and subsequent phosphor-ization,we reported a facile strategy for combining TMPs with tunable elemental compositions(Ni,Fe,Mn,Co,Cu)on a two-dimensional ti-tanium carbide(MXene)flake.The obtained TMPs/MXene hybrid nanostructures demonstrate homogeneously distributed elements.They ex-hibit high electrical conductivity and strong interfacial interaction,resulting in an accelerated reaction kinetics and long-term stability.The res-ults of different component catalysts’OER performance show that NiFeMnCoP/MXene is the most active catalyst,with a low overpotential of 240 mV at 10 mA·cm−2,a small Tafel slope of 41.43 mV·dec−1,and a robust long-term electrochemical stability.According to the electrocata-lytic mechanism investigation,the enhanced NiFeMnCoP/MXene OER performance is due to the strong synergistic effect of the multi-ele-mental composition.Our work,therefore,provides a scalable synthesis route for multi-elemental TMPs and a valuable guideline for efficient MXene-supported catalysts design.

Metal phosphides and borides as the catalytic host of sulfur cathode for lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium−sulfur batteries are one of the most competitive high-energy batteries due to their high theoretical energy density of _(2)600 W·h·kg^(−1).However,their commercialization is limited by poor cycle stability mainly due to the low intrinsic electrical conductivity of sulfur and its discharged products(Li_(2)S_(2)/Li_(2)S),the sluggish reaction kinetics of sulfur cathode,and the“shuttle effect”of soluble intermediate lithi-um polysulfides in ether-based electrolyte.To address these challenges,catalytic hosts have recently been introduced in sulfur cathodes to en-hance the conversion of soluble polysulfides to the final solid products and thus prevent the dissolution and loss of active-sulfur material.In this review,we summarize the recent progress on the use of metal phosphides and borides of different dimensions as the catalytic host of sulfur cathodes and demonstrate the catalytic conversion mechanism of sulfur cathodes with the help of metal phosphides and borides for high-en-ergy and long-life lithium-sulfur batteries.Finally,future outlooks are proposed on developing advanced catalytic host materials to improve battery performance.

Metal-organic frameworks-derived metal phosphides for electrochemistry application

Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)with high porosity and variable structure have attracted extensive attention in the field of electrochemistry,but their poor conductivity and stability have limited their development.Materials derived from MOFs can maintain the structural diversity and porosity characteristics of MOFs while improving their electrical conductivity and stability.Metal phosphides play an important role in electrochemistry because they possess rich active sites,unique physicochemical properties,and a porous structure.Published results show that MOF-derived metal-phosphides materials have great promise in the field of electrochemistry due to their controllable structure,high specific surface area,high stability and excellent electrical conductivity.MOF-derived metal-phosphides with significant electrochemical properties can be obtained by simply,economical and scalable synthetic methods.This work reviews the application of MOF-derived metal phosphides in electrochemistry.Specifically,the synthesis methodology and morphological characterization of MOFs derived metal-phosphides and their application in electrochemistry are described.Based on recent scientific advances,we discuss the challenges and opportunities for future research on MOF-derived metal-phosphides materials.

Thioetherification of isoprene and butanethiol on transition metal phosphides

Thioetherification between mercaptan and diolefin is an efficient process to remove mercaptans in FCC gasoline at mild condition, during which the selective hydrogenation of diolefin to monoolefin is also expected. Here, Si O2 supported transition metal（Fe, Co, Ni, Mo and W） phosphides were tested for the thioetherification of isoprene and butanethiol on a fixed-bed reactor at 120℃ and 1.5 MPa H2, and their structure before and after reaction was characterized by means of XRD, HRTEM, N2 sorption, CO chemisorption, NH3-TPD, XPS and TG. It was found that, among different metal phosphides, Mo P/Si O2 showed the best performance, and the optimal nominal Mo P loading was 25%. Apart from the nature of metal, the density of metal and acid sites determined the catalyst performance. Metal site was mainly responsible for hydrogenation of isoprene, while acid site dominantly contributed to the thioetherification and the polymerization of olefins. Moreover, a balance between metallic and acidic functions is required to arrive at a desired performance. Excessive metal sites or acid sites led to the over-hydrogenation of isoprene or the severe polymerization of olefins, respectively. 25%Mo P/Si O2 was tested for 37 h time on stream, and butanethiol conversion maintained at 100%; although isoprene conversion remarkably decreased, the selectivity to isopentenes exceeded 80% after reaction for 11 h. We suggest that the deactivation of Mo P/Si O2 is mainly ascribed to the butanethiol poisoning and the carbonaceous deposit, especially the former.

Synthesis and application of transition metal phosphides as electrocatalyst for water splitting

With continuous research on photocatalytic water splitting, searching for efficient catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) becomes popular topic in addition to main catalyst research. Transition metal phosphides are receiving intense attention due to its abundance in the Earth's crust and comparable catalytic properties to noble metals. In this review, the synthesis approaches, HER reaction mechanism,photocatalytic activity, approaches to improve the activity of transition metal phosphides were reviewed and discussed. It was showed that the transition metal phosphides have great potential to reduce the cost of photocatalyst and promising application on water splitting. The stability problem and participation of poisonous reactant and product in its synthesis reaction limit its application and developing in a certain extent, but with the continuous efforts on the development and improvement of the synthesis methods,transition metal phosphides will find wide application in water splitting.

Self-supported transition metal phosphide based electrodes as high-efficient water splitting cathodes

Electrolytic water splitting has been considered as a promising technology to produce highly pure H2 by using electrical power produced from wind, solar energy or other fitful renewable energy resources. Combining novel self-supporting structure and high-performance transition metal phosphides （TMP） shows substantial promise for practical application in water splitting. In this review, we try to provide a comprehensive analysis of the design and fabrication of various self-supported TMP electrodes for hydrogen evolution reaction, which are divided into three categories： catalysts growing on carbon-based substrates, catalysts growing on metal-based substrates and free- standing catalyst films. The material structures together with catalytic performances of self-supported electrodes are presented and discussed. We also show the specific strategies to further improve the catalytic performance by elemental doping or incorporation of nanocarbons. The simple and one-step methods to fabricate self-supported TMP electrodes are also highlighted. Finally, the chal- lenges and perspectives for self-supported TMP electrodes in water splitting application are briefly discussed.

Highly selective and stable hydrogenation of heavy aromatic-naphthalene over transition metal phosphides

The present study reports a highly selective and stable catalytic approach for producing tetralin, an important chemical, solvent, and H2 storage material. Transition metal phosphides （MOP, Ni2P, Co2P, and Fe2P） were prepared by wet impregnation and temperature-programmed reduction and characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDX）, EDX mapping, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, brunauer-emmett- teller （BET）, temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia （NH3-TPD）, and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of pyridine （pyridine-FTIR）. Of all the transition metal phosphides MoP was formed at a lower reduction temperature, which resuited in smaller particle size that enhanced the overall surface area of the catalyst. The existence of weak, moderate, and Lewis acidic sites over MoP were responsible for its high tetralin selectivity （90%） and stability during the 100 h reaction on-stream in a fixed-bed reactor.

A new insight into the promoting effects of transition metal phosphides in methanol electrooxidation

The construction of highly active catalysts for methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)is central to direct methanol fuel cells.Tremendous progress has been made in transition metal phosphides(TMPs)based catalysts.However,TMPs would be partially damaged and transformed into new substances(e.g.,Pt-M-P composite,where M represents a second transition metal)during Pt deposition process.This would pose a large obstacle to the cognition of the real promoting effects of TMPs in MOR.Herein,Co_(2)P co-catalysts(Pt-P/Co_(2)P@NPC,where NPC stands for N and P co-doped carbon)and Pt-Co-P composite catalysts(Pt-CoP/NPC)were controllably synthesized.Electrocatalysis tests show that the Pt-Co-P/NPC exhibits superior MOR activity as high as 1016 m A/mg_(Pt),significantly exceeding that of Pt-P/Co_(2)P@NPC(345 m A/mg_(Pt)).This result indicates that the promoting effect is ascribed primarily to the resultant Pt-Co-P composite,in sharply contrast to previous viewpoint that Co_(2)P itself improves the activity.Further mechanistic studies reveal that Pt-Co-P/NPC exhibits much stronger electron interaction and thus manifesting a remarkably weaker CO absorption than Pt-P/Co_(2)P@NPC and Pt/C.Moreover,Pt-Co-P is also more capable of producing oxygen-containing adsorbate and thus accelerating the removal of surface-bonded CO^(*),ultimately boosting the MOR performance.

Advances in metal phosphides for sodium-ion batteries

Sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)have been extensively studied as the potential alter-native to lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)due to the abundant natural reserves and low price of sodium resources.Nevertheless,Na+ions possess a larger radius than Li+,resulting in slow diffusion dynamics in electrode materials,and thus seeking appropriate anode materials to meet high performance standards has become a trend in the field of SIBs.In this context,owing to the advantages of high theoretical capacity and proper redox potential,metal phosphides(MPs)are considered to be the promising materials to make up for the gap of SIBs anode materials.In this review,the recent development of MPs anode materials for SIBs is reviewed and analyzed comprehensively and deeply,including the synthesis method,advanced modification strategy,electrochemical performance,and Na storage mechanism.In addition,to promote the wide application of the emerg-ing MPs anodes for SIBs,several research emphases in the future are pointed out to overcome challenges toward the commercial application.

Heterostructured bimetallic phosphide nanowire arrays with latticetorsion interfaces for efficient overall water splitting

Designing cost-effective and high-efficiency electrocatalysts is critical to the water splitting performance during hydrogen generation.Herein,we have developed Fe_(2)P-Co_(2)P heterostructure nanowire arrays with excellent lattice torsions and grain boundaries for highly efficient water splitting.According to the microstructural investigations and theoretical calculations,the lattice torsion interface not only contributes to the exposure of more active sites but also effectively tunes the adsorption energy of hydrogen/oxygen intermediates via the accumulation of charge redistribution.As a result,the Fe_(2)P-Co_(2)P heterostructure nanowire array exhibits exceptional bifunctional catalytic activity with overpotentials of 65 and 198 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2) for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions,respectively.Moreover,the Fe_(2)P-Co_(2)P/NF-assembled electrolyzer can deliver 10 mA cm^(-2) at an ultralow voltage of1.51 V while resulting in a high solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 19.8%in the solar-driven water electrolysis cell.

Mechanistic insight into the controlled synthesis of metal phosphide catalysts from annealing of metal oxides with sodium hypophosphite

Understanding and manipulating synthetic progress for precisely controlling the components and defects of nanomaterials is an important and challenging task in materials synthesis and nanocatalysis.Metal phosphides(MPs)have been explored as cheap advanced materials in various catalytic fields.MP materials are usually synthesized through gas-solid phosphorization reaction in a trial-to-error manner,but their formation mechanism and the origin of controlled synthesis remain unclear.Here,we combine in situ thermogravimetrc analysis-mass spectrometry(TG-MS)and quasi-in situ X-ray powder diffraction(XRD)analysis to probe the transformation mechanism from metal oxides(MOs)to MPs during the phosphorization process mediated by hypophosphite.Temperature,time,and the amount of hypophosphite are revealed as the driven forces while oxophilicity and crystallinity as the impeded forces,simultaneously control the component and defect level of a series of MP(M=Ni,Co,W,Mo,and Nb).The as-obtained WO2.9/WP is proved to be an efficient Z-scheme photocatalyst for oxidative coupling of methane with the total C2+production and C2H4 selectivity in C2+products reaching 10.75 pmolg-1 and 98.25%.Our work provides a fundamental understanding of the phosphorization treatment and thereby guides a viable synthetic route to the controlled synthesis of MOx-δ,MP,MOx-δ/MP,and MP/M heterostructured materials.

Charge redistribution caused by sulfur doping of bimetal FeCo phosphides supported on heteroatoms-doped graphene for Zn-air batteries with stable cycling

Exploring feasible synthesis approaches to highly efficient and robust bifunctional electrocatalysts toward both oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)is triggering researcher’s even-increasing interest in rechargeable Zn-air batteries.Herein,sulfur-doped bimetal FeCo phosphide nanoparticles dispersed on N,P,S-tri-doped graphene(donated as S-FeCo3P/NPSG)are rationally prepared through a controllable one-step carbothermal-phosphorization strategy.The modified charge distribution and electron-donor properties of S-FeCo3P/NPSG caused by S decoration render a significantly beneficial effect on the electrocatalytic activities.Consequently,the S-FeCo3P/NPSG electrode exhibits extraordinary bifunctional activities toward oxygen electrochemistry of the OER overpotential of 290 m V at 10 m A cm^(-2) and the ORR half-wave potential of 0.83 V,approaching to that of noblemetal IrO_(2)(289 m V)and Pt/C(0.84 V),respectively,but with more stronger operation stability in alkaline media.When S-FeCo3P/NPSG serves as the air cathode for liquid-state Zn-air battery,the large peak power density and energy density,as well as superb discharge-charge durability(cycling life>600 h)of this device are obtained.Furthermore,all-solid-state Zn-air battery with S-FeCo3P/NPSG as air electrode also displays excellent mechanical flexibility,high power density and stable cycling stability.The self-reconstruction behavior of the S-FeCo3P/NPSG cathode catalysts is also investigated during the electrocatalytic Zn-air battery operation.This work would provide some novel inspiration from aspects of bonding and charge distribution for the rational construction of active and cost-efficient bifucntional oxygen electrocatalysts for energy storage and conversion devices.

A revisiting of transition metal phosphide(Cu_(3)P and FeP)nanozymes for two sugar-related reactions

Transition metal phosphides(TMPs)are essential catalysts for some general catalytic reactions.However,their potentials for biological catalysis have seldom been explored.Herein,we investigated the enzyme-like properties of four TMPs(FeP,CoP,Ni_(2)P,and Cu_(3)P)towards two sugar-related reactions.Among the four TMPs,Cu_(3)P nanoparticles(NPs)efficiently catalyzed the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds as glycoside hydrolase mimics,and FeP NPs possessed both glucose oxidase-like(GOx-like)and peroxidase-like activities,which combined into a cascade reaction for glucose’s simple and one-step colorimetric biosensor without GOx.Cu_(3)P and FeP NPs with distinctive enzyme-like activities have shown unique biological catalysis potentials for further applications with an attractive and challenging goal of developing nanomaterials to mimic natural enzymes,which encourages more efforts to reveal TMP’s capabilities towards biocatalysis.