CoMoP2 nanoparticles anchored on N, P doped carbon nanosheets for high-performance lithium-oxygen batteries

Abstract Transition metal phosphides with superior electrical conductivity and a large number of electrochemically active sites, have become a research hotspot in various energy-related research fields. However, CoMoP2-based materials were rarely reported, especially in the rechargeable batteries. Herein, CoMoP2 nanoparticles anchored on N, P co-doped carbon nanosheets (CoMoP2@NPC) were prepared through the simple pyrolysis of organic precursor in the presence of phosphoric acid. When used as electrode materials, the as-prepared CoMoP2@NPC electrode exhibited good electrocatalytic activities towards oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions for Li-O2 batteries. With the unique structure, NPC nanosheets could not only improve electrical conductivity of the composite, but also relive volume changes during cycling to expose the active sites of CoMoP2 nanoparticles. This work introduces a highly-effective strategy for preparing carbon materials embedded bimetal phosphides for energy storage and conversion devices.