Bismuth-based semiconductor heterostructures for photocatalytic pollution gases removal

Bismuth-based materials are promising photocatalysts due to the low price and appropriate energy band structure, the removal of pollution gases, and the reuse of reaction products in a green and clean way, it has been wildly used. The construction of heterojunction is an effective way to improve the photocatalytic performance of materials. Herein, this review summarizes the main types of configurations of heterojunctions and how to prepare high-quality bismuth-based heterojunctions and different types of characterization. We introduce the application of the construction of bismuth-based semiconductor heterojunctions, which improves the utilization of visible light in photocatalytic reactions, increases the separation and migration efficiency of photogenerated carriers, provides more reaction sites for CO₂ reduction or NO oxidation, and detect harmful gases as gas sensor. Finally, in order to make the heterojunction practical application and meet the demand of industrialization, we put forward some prospects of bismuth-based heterojunction research in the future.