Bi- or non-Bi compounds was applied as an effective solution to enhance
photocatalytic performance. The major points are related to the activity about
(1) water remediation and (2) photoelectrochemical water splitting. The presented
review tries to demonstrate the high potential of BiÀcompounds and BiÀcomposites
for water remediation and hydrogen and oxygen production through redox reactions
of water activated by solar light irradiation, respectively.
Keywords BiÀcompounds · Photocatalyst · Water splitting · Remediation ·
Heterojunction · Morphology
10.1 Introduction
Worldwide problem of harmful pollutants has been known as the most challenging
issue in view of environmental hygiene, health of human, and living organisms on
earth (Schwarzenbach et al. 2010; Mahlambi et al. 2015). Human and living
organisms need pure and healthy water and air for surviving. Hence, useful technology of photocatalysis process was done in versatile arena like elimination of
organic polluters and produce sustainable energy (Aziz and Sopyan 2010; Patil et al.
2015; Kumar 2017). Photocatalyst process started under light irradiation as excitation source for produce active oxidant species on the surface catalyst for proceeding
pollutant degradation. Nowadays, attention of researchers for gaining high degradation efficiency with cost-effective has been drawn to use available, non-expensive,
and renewable energies such as light source of natural sunlight. It is well clear that
sunlight as most available global source could be applied for photocatalysis process.
Sunlight spectrum composed of three regions: UV À region about 5%, visible À
region about 53%, and infrared region about 42%. The percentage of sunlight
constituents can answer to photocatalysts necessity to get light energies and electron
stimulation and move them up from conduction band to valence band (Fig. 10.1).
From this view, photocatalysts can be categorized to UV-activated and visible lightactivated photocatalysts. UV photocatalysts are composed from the semiconductors
with wide band gaps more than 3 eV such as ZrO 2 , TiO 2 , and ZnO but visible ones
own lower band gaps between 2 and 3 eV (Akueus 2012; Alahiane et al. 2014;
Reddy et al. 2018). Today, researchers have been focused on the synthesize of visible
light photocatalysts to benefit from optimal using of main region of natural sunlight.
For this matter, we tried to introduce and describe BiÀcompounds as visible light
photocatalyst within remediation and splitting of water.
322
M. Zargazi and M. Chahkandi
photocatalytic performance. The major points are related to the activity about
(1) water remediation and (2) photoelectrochemical water splitting. The presented
review tries to demonstrate the high potential of BiÀcompounds and BiÀcomposites
for water remediation and hydrogen and oxygen production through redox reactions
of water activated by solar light irradiation, respectively.
Keywords BiÀcompounds · Photocatalyst · Water splitting · Remediation ·
Heterojunction · Morphology
10.1 Introduction
Worldwide problem of harmful pollutants has been known as the most challenging
issue in view of environmental hygiene, health of human, and living organisms on
earth (Schwarzenbach et al. 2010; Mahlambi et al. 2015). Human and living
organisms need pure and healthy water and air for surviving. Hence, useful technology of photocatalysis process was done in versatile arena like elimination of
organic polluters and produce sustainable energy (Aziz and Sopyan 2010; Patil et al.
2015; Kumar 2017). Photocatalyst process started under light irradiation as excitation source for produce active oxidant species on the surface catalyst for proceeding
pollutant degradation. Nowadays, attention of researchers for gaining high degradation efficiency with cost-effective has been drawn to use available, non-expensive,
and renewable energies such as light source of natural sunlight. It is well clear that
sunlight as most available global source could be applied for photocatalysis process.
Sunlight spectrum composed of three regions: UV À region about 5%, visible À
region about 53%, and infrared region about 42%. The percentage of sunlight
constituents can answer to photocatalysts necessity to get light energies and electron
stimulation and move them up from conduction band to valence band (Fig. 10.1).
From this view, photocatalysts can be categorized to UV-activated and visible lightactivated photocatalysts. UV photocatalysts are composed from the semiconductors
with wide band gaps more than 3 eV such as ZrO 2 , TiO 2 , and ZnO but visible ones
own lower band gaps between 2 and 3 eV (Akueus 2012; Alahiane et al. 2014;
Reddy et al. 2018). Today, researchers have been focused on the synthesize of visible
light photocatalysts to benefit from optimal using of main region of natural sunlight.
For this matter, we tried to introduce and describe BiÀcompounds as visible light
photocatalyst within remediation and splitting of water.
322
M. Zargazi and M. Chahkandi