Recent Advances on Black Phosphorus for Energy Storage, Catalysis, and Sensor Applications

As a new type of 2D semiconductor, black phosphorus (BP) possesses high charge-carrier mobility and theoretical capacity, thickness-dependent bandgap, and anisotropic structure, which has attracted tremendous attention since early 2014. To explore its full application in all aspects, studies based on BP nanostructures are swiftly expanding from the electronic field to energy storage and even biochemistry. The mechanism and application of BP in Li-/Na-ion battery anodes, oxygen evolution reaction/hydrogen evolution reaction catalysis, photocatalytic hydrogen production, and selective sensors are summarized. Based on the solid research on this topic, feasible improvements and constructive suggestions regarding these four fields are put forward.