Photocatalyst Composites from Bi-based and Carbon Materials for Visible Light Photodegradation

This chapter gives a brief overview of the progress in bismuth-carbon nanocomposites as promising visible-light-driven photocatalysts. The fundamental structural features of bare bismuth-based photocatalysts and their historical background is highlighted. The composites of BiOX with carbon nanotubes are discussed in detail. Overview of some composites with other carbon nanomaterials, such as activated carbon, graphene, and g-C3N4, are also discussed. Based on this, significant roles played by these carbon nanomaterials are reviewed as well. The important examples are collected, compared and analyzed thoroughly. The introduction of carbon nanomaterials has a pronounced effect on the photocatalytic performance of bare bismuth-based metal oxides owing to the synergetic effect that exists between carbon nanostructures and bismuth-related photocatalysts, besides the effect on their morphological, structural and optical properties.