Strategies and Applications for Improving the Stability of Black Phosphorus in Physical Environment

Abstract

As a new type of 2D material, black phosphorus (BP) has been gradually attracting attentions since it was rediscovered in 2014 because of its many excellent properties, such as strong anisotropic properties, optical‐response properties, layer‐dependent bandgap, and so on. 2D BP is becoming an excellent candidate in the fields of electronics, optics, and so on. However, the applications of 2D BP are greatly limited and challenged by many adverse factors, such as the low yield, poor stability, and high price of BP nanosheets (NSs). Among them, the poor stability of BP is an important factor, which is an urgent problem to be solved. The main reason for its poor stability is the instability of its environment. The degradation factors of 2D BP are studied, including photoinduced degradation and water‐catalyzed degradation. At present, some feasible methods are explored to improve the degradation, which include passivation, surface functionalization, and doping metal or nonmetal ions. This review not only clarifies the structure, properties, degradation mechanism, and methods to improve the BP stability, but also shows more strategic means for the design and application of stable BP‐based nanocomposite materials in the fields of electronics, optics, biomedicine, and fire safety.

Fabrication of Doped Black Phosphorus Crystal by the Chemical Vapor Transport Method

“…P 2p spectrum (Figure a) displays the coexistence of 2p 3/2 and 2p 1/2 peaks at 129.67 and 130.55 eV, which is one of the characteristics of orthorhombic BP. , This further proves the as-grown crystals have an orthorhombic structure and keep this property after doping. Moreover, there is no P–O bond near 134 eV, indicating that the as-grown samples were not significantly oxidized by H 2 O and O 2 . − Compared with undoped BP, the 2p 3/2 and 2p 1/2 peaks of doped BP shifted by 0.56 and 0.53 eV to the higher binding energy, respectively. The decrease in the density of the outer orbital electron cloud of P atoms in the doped BP lattice can be used to explain this phenomenon.…”

“…Despite having high thermodynamic stability, thin-layer BP is known to be easily oxidized in the air . A good match between the BP band gap and O 2 /O 2 − is identified as a non-negligible factor in low ambient stability .…”

“…Despite having high thermodynamic stability, thin-layer BP is known to be easily oxidized in the air. 24 A good match between the BP band gap and O 2 /O 2 − is identified as a nonnegligible factor in low ambient stability. 26 Previous research suggested that when the atomic doping level of Sb and Bi was 4.0%, the bottom of the conduction band of doped BP was below O 2 /O 2 − redox potential, which would enhance the stability of the thin-layer BP.…”

Renaissance of elemental phosphorus materials: properties, synthesis, and applications in sustainable energy and environment

“…178 Prolonged exposure to the environment can cause significant changes in the physicochemical properties of phosphorene, including a rougher surface, higher ohmic resistance, and reduced charge mobility due to the formation of a surface oxide layer. 179,180 The detrimental modifications negatively impact the efficiency of catalysts and electrodes. Therefore, comprehending the vulnerabilities of EPMs and potential factors that may interfere with their performance is important for designing more durable EPM-based materials that can be used under industrial conditions.…”

Trends in the Preparation and Passivation Techniques of Black Phosphorus Nanostructures for Optoelectronics Applications: A Review

“…Several researchers have recently explored and analyzed the influence of various solvents on FL-BP stability. The solvation prevents the FL-BP from interacting with water or oxygen, resulting in BP increased stability. , Meanwhile, N -methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) was discovered to create stable and high-productivity phosphorene dispersions among a variety of solvents . Zhang used deoxygenated water to extend the photocatalytic activity of exfoliated FL-BP for 15 days …”