Progress in Preparation and Research of Water Electrolysis Catalyst for Transition Metal Phosphide

Confronted with growing energy crisis and environmental challenges, water electrolysis for hydrogen production can provide high-density, clean and renewable energy, but limited by sluggish kinetics of two half reaction, anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction(HER). Noble-metal-based electrocatalysts can decrease overpotential and accelerate kinetics dramatically, but limited by its scarcity and high cost. Transitional metal catalysts are abundant, low cost and have potential to become excellent catalyst due to unique electronic structure. Beginning from basic principle of electrocatalysis, this paper focuses on the synthesis method of transitional metal phosphide (TMP), and further discusses modification methods of TMP, including phase tuning, element doping/alloying, interfacial/structural engineering and three-dimensional architecture. Finally, the challenges of TMP are analyzed and future research focuses are prospected.