Nanostructured Phosphides as Electrocatalysts for Green Energy Generation

The advancement in science and technology has brought up a great revolution in the industrial sector and the day-to-day life of human beings. On one hand, the available nonrenewable sources of energy are decreasing at a greater rate because of the concomitant increase in population, while on the other side, it made scientists think about alternatives. The faster consumption of available energy resources also possesses a threat to the environment and the ecosystem by contributing to greenhouse gases. In order to overcome both of these problems, electrocatalytic green energy generation has emerged as one of the best alternatives because of the production of hydrogen energy, conversion of N2/CO2 to energy sources, and other methods of energy storage. These methods are environmentally benign and have high energy density. In order to have efficient energy generation, different catalysts have been developed, among which metal phosphides and their combinations have received considerable interest and attention. This chapter discusses the synthesis of different metal phosphides and their possible combinations, such as by doping or heterostructure formation, and their application in green energy generation, such as H2 energy generation, CO2 reduction, and so forth. The mechanism of the electrocatalytic process and the factors impacting the activity of the catalysts are also discussed in detail.