Facile Synthesis of Black Phosphorus: an Efficient Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Evolving Reaction

Black phosphorus (BP) as a new 2D material has attracted extensive attention because of its unique electronic, optical, and structural properties. However, the difficulties associated with BP synthesis severely hinder the further development of BP for any potential applications. On the other hand, searching for other potential applications of BP is also a big challenge. A facile strategy was developed for preparation of BP supported on Ti foil (BP‐Ti) in a thin‐film form. Surprisingly, the as‐prepared BP shows advanced electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). To improve the OER activity of the electrocatalyst, BP was grown on a carbon nanotube network (BP‐CNT), showing even better activity. The results demonstrate that BP can be prepared by a facile method and may be applied as an electrocatalyst. Black phosphorus supported on titanium foil is highly efficient in the oxygen evolving reaction, with an onset potential of 1.48 V and a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at 1.6 V. The electrocatalytic activity of black phosphorus materials prepared by a thermal‐vaporization transformation method is comparable to that of commercial RuO2 electrocatalysts.