Electrocatalytic Activity of a 2D Phosphorene-Based Heteroelectrocatalyst for Photoelectrochemical Cells

Research into efficient synthesis, fundamental properties, and potential applications of phosphorene is currently the subject of intense investigation. Herein, solution-processed phosphorene or few-layer black phosphorus (FL-BP) sheets are prepared using a microwave exfoliation method and used in photoelectrochemical cells. Based on experimental and theoretical (DFT) studies, the FL-BP sheets are found to act as catalytically active sites and show excellent electrocatalytic activity for triiodide reduction in dye-sensitized solar cells. Importantly, the device fabricated based on the newly designed cobalt sulfide (CoSx) decorated nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon nanotube heteroelectrocatalyst coated with FL-BP (FL-BP@N,S-doped CNTs-CoSx) displayed an impressive photovoltaic efficiency of 8.31%, outperforming expensive platinum based cells. This work paves the way for using phosphorene-based electrocatalysts for next-generation energy-storage systems.