Photocatalysis using bismuth-based heterostructured nanomaterials for visible light harvesting

Abstract Bismuth-based nanofunctionalized semiconductors are a unique and promising group of recently growing advanced visible-light photocatalytic materials. These semiconductors’ electronic structure facilitates for very dynamic visible-light response due to their well-dispersed hybrid orbitals of Bi6s and O2p in the valence band, making them a prominent candidate compared with other established metal oxide semiconductors. Apart from its simple preparation flexibility with ardant physicochemical properties and controlled morphologies, their adjustable band gap and good light stability make them attractive heterostructured materials to be explored further. This chapter outlines the fundamentals of photocatalytic processes with a summary of recent advanced bismuth-based heterostructured nanomaterials explored worldwide. Also, it presents the challenges faced in material processing and possible approaches to overcome them. Finally, it presented some of the applications in various systems like water purification, degrading organic and inorganic pollutants, self-cleaning properties, and water splitting reactions.