One bismuth three birds: an overview of bismuth-based photocatalysts for energy conversion, environmental treatment and biomedical applications

Abstract

A wide variety of bismuth-based photocatalysts are considered to be excellent candidates for energy conversion, environmental pollutant treatment and biomedical engineering applications, and have attracted extensive attention owing to their unique electronic structural properties, good photoelectric response and safety. However, there are still some limitations in single structure of bismuth-based nanomaterials for the usage of comprehensive applications, e.g. the fast charge recombination restricts photoelectric utilization efficiency, low quantum yield and low light absorption capacity astrict catalytic activity. Therefore, reliable functional modification of bismuth-based materials is performed to achieve a wider range of applications in much reports. In this review, the research progress of bismuth-based photocatalysts in energy, environment and biomedicine is summarized in detail. Furthermore, the functional modification methods of bismuth-based photocatalyst are summarized in order to provide effective help for comprehensive understanding and application. Finally, we prospected the opportunities and challenges facing bismuth-based photocatalysts, hoping to provide guidance for the rapid development of bismuth-based photocatalysts.