Black Phosphorus-based Photocatalysts: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

Photocatalysis is considered as an eco-friendly and sustainable strategy, since it uses abundant light for the advancement of the reaction, which is freely accessible and is devoid of environmental pollution. During the last decades, (nano)photocatalysts have gained broad industrial applications in terms of purification and detoxification of water as well as production of green fuels and hydrogen gas due to their special attributes. The degradation or remediation of toxic and hazardous compounds from the environment or changing them into non-toxic entities is a significant endeavor and necessary for the safety of humans, animals, and the environment. Black phosphorus (BP), a two-dimensional single-element material, has a marvelous structure, tunable bandgap, changeable morphology from bulk to nanosheet/quantum dot, and unique physicochemical properties, which makes it attractive material for photocatalytic applications, especially for sustainable development purposes. Since it can serve as a photocatalyst with or without coupling with other semiconductors, various aspects for multidimensional exploitation of BP are deliberated including their preparation via solvothermal, ball milling, calcination, and sonication methods to obtain BP from red phosphorus. The techniques for improving the photocatalytic and stability of BP-based composites are discussed along with their multifaceted applications for environmental remediation, pollution degradation, water splitting, N₂ fixation, CO₂ reduction, bacterial disinfection, H₂ generation, and photodynamic therapy. Herein, most recent advancements pertaining to the photocatalytic applications of BP-based photocatalyst are cogitated, with a focus on their synthesis and properties as well as crucial challenges and future perspectives.