Leaf-like Multiphase Metal Phosphides as Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysts toward Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries

Developing a bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst is crucial to improve the reversibility and cycle life of a rechargeable zinc-air battery (RZAB). Here, transition metal phosphides (TMPs) with a leaf-like hierarchical structure and multiphase composition can be synthesized by the "alloying-dealloying-phosphating" strategy. The as-prepared P-NiCo(1:1) electrode takes advantage of its internal dense nanoholes and synergistic effects induced by NiCoP-containing polyphase to reveal multifunctional catalysis, such as OER and ORR. In combination of these advantages, P-NiCo(1:1) exhibits an extremely low OER overpotential of 220 mV at 10 mA cm