Black phosphorus: Envisaging the opportunities for supercapacitors

Black phosphorus (BP) has emerged to be a promising material in various fields like material science, con-densed matter physics, chemistry, etc. Bearing the properties like narrow and direct band gaps, remarkable flexibility, high conductivity, electron mobility, and theoretical capacity, along with an anisotropic structure opens doors for BP in the field of energy storage devices. Also, the spacing between the layers of BP is 0.55 nm which has proved to be higher than graphene which supports better ion transportation in the case of supercapacitors (SCs). In this article, we briefly discuss many BP-based electrodes which were synthesized using the top-down and bottom-up approaches, the properties possessed by the material, and their application in SCs. The review also examines the strategies which can amplify the electrochemical performances proving to help fabricate the supercapacitor electrodes and devices. The potential of BP in constructing low-cost, flexible, and high-performing materials for SCs is also discussed. The review finally states the current shortcomings in the available literature and the direction of research which can provide a stage for never-ending improvements in this subject.

Automated summary

Black phosphorus (BP) has promising applications in energy storage devices due to its narrow band gap, flexibility, high conductivity, and anisotropic structure. This review discusses the synthesis of BP-based electrodes, their properties, and their use in supercapacitors (SCs). Strategies to enhance electrochemical performance and potential for constructing low-cost, flexible, and high-performing materials for SCs are also explored. The review concludes by identifying current shortcomings and future research directions to further improve this field.