Efficacy of Bismuth Oxyhalides (BiOX-based) Materials for Enhanced Photocatalysis

Abstract

Photocatalytic water splitting is an intriguing technology for sustainable hydrogen production. Bismuth-based oxyhalides are excellent photocatalysts that perform water splitting more efficiently. They also provide a wide scope for materials selection and design. The heterostructures afford abundant interfaces that offer plentiful active sites, rapid charge and mass transfer that synergistically boost the photocatalytic water oxidation and reduction reaction. This chapter describes the fundamentals of bismuth-based oxyhalides for photocatalytic water splitting and CO2 photoreduction. It also presents the strategies and efforts developed to increase efficiency, which includes improving light absorption and charge transfer.