Applications of Cobalt Phosphide-Based Materials in Electrocatalysis

Electrocatalysis plays a pivotal role in advancing clean energy technologies to address pressing environmental and energy challenges. However, the design and fabrication of cost-effective electrocatalysts with high activity and long-term stability remain significant hurdles. Among the reported electrocatalysts, Co-P-based materials such as Co2P, CoP, and CoP2 have emerged as promising candidates for various applications, including water splitting, polysulfide electrocatalysis, and oxygen reduction reactions. Their appeal lies in their advantageous electronic structures, cost-effectiveness, excellent electrocatalytic performance, and robust chemical stability. This review begins with an overview of diverse electrocatalytic processes and their fundamental mechanisms. It then explores various synthesis strategies for Co-P-based materials, highlighting their applications across different electrocatalytic systems. A comprehensive discussion of prevalent strategies for optimizing Co-P-based materials in electrocatalysis is provided, with water splitting serving as a representative example. Following an in-depth analysis of active sites in Co-P-based materials relevant to water splitting, insights from our research are presented. Additionally, the critical influence of precursor materials and their transformation pathways on the properties of the resulting oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts is thoroughly discussed. Finally, the review concludes by outlining the challenges and future perspectives for designing highly efficient Co-P-based electrocatalysts.