Recent advances and emerging trends in (BiO)2CO3 based photocatalysts for environmental remediation: A review

Abstract As per the global environmental pollution crisis, the explorations of optimized nanostructured photocatalytic materials have received considerable attention. Among them, Aurivillius-related oxide family bismuth subcarbonate (BiO)2CO3 photocatalysts, composed of self-possessed [Bi2O2]2+ layers interposed by CO32− clusters owing to a Sillen-Aurivillius layered structure, leading to exhibit superior photoactivity. The present review endeavors to summarize a comprehensive study on the development and fabrication techniques of (BiO)2CO3, which define the relationship between morphologies and photocatalytic activities. Besides, specific enhancement approaches for improving photocatalytic activity (BiO)2CO3, such as heterojunction formation, cocatalyst, doping, are presented. Furthermore, photocatalytic improvement characteristics and photocatalytic mechanisms of (BiO)2CO3 based semiconductor heterojunction-based photocatalyst are successfully explained. Finally, the review ended with conclusions, challenges, and guidelines for future work for (BiO)2CO3 based heterojunction semiconductor photocatalysts toward various potential environmental remediation in the coming years.