Are phosphorus-based mesoporous materials suitable for energy storage and conversion?

In this article, we highlight recent advancements in the synthesis of phosphorus-based mesoporous materials for energy storage and conversion, including metal phosphates, phosphonates, and phosphides. The discussion is sectioned into three parts according to different synthetic approaches (i.e., soft-template, hard-template, and template-free).

Do phosphorus-rich metal phosphides show superiority in energy storage and conversion fields?

Phosphorus-rich metal phosphides show great superiority in energy storage and conversion fields. The up-to-date advances of phosphorus-rich metal phosphides are summarized and analyzed insightfully. The theory-composition/structure-performance relationships and the reasons behind the superior performance are revealed.

Can mesostructure be incorporated into phosphorus-based materials?

Mesoporous architectures have proved to be of great advantage for energy storage and conversion, due to their plentiful accessible active sites and easy mass/charge transfer. Therefore, the incorporation of mesostructure into phosphorus-based materials will definitely benefit from both structural superiority and intrinsic merits of the materials.

Are mesoporous metal phosphonates effective in energy storage?

Recent studies demonstrate the electrochemical activity of mesoporous metal phosphonates (e.g., iron, vanadium, and manganese-based) in energy storage devices. The biggest obstacle limiting their performance is the considerable presence of insulating organic groups that usually leads to poor conductivity.

Why are MPs becoming a popular energy storage & conversion material?

MPs are emerging as the highly attractive energy storage and conversion materials owing to their high conductivity, abundant earth reserves, satisfactory catalytic performance and large lithium/sodium storage capacities , , , , , .

How can phosphorus transformation be controlled?

The transformation from RP, the most popular phosphorus precursor for BP preparation, generally cannot be precisely controlled, let alone the surface cleanliness, which significantly influences the quality level of the final product.