Abstract
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•Structural, magnetic and optoelectronic properties of BiFeO3 were conferred.•Properties of BiFeO3 as a photocatalyst were described.•Different types of conventional and Z-scheme heterojunctions were stated in detail.•Dual Z-scheme based BiFeO3 heterojunctions have been illustrated.•Applications for H2 production and pollutant degradation were explored.
Hitherto, heed has been paid substantially to concoct potential photocatalysts to counter the issues of environmental degradation and energy crises. Amongst the plethora of photocatalysts, BiFeO3 (BFO) based photocatalysts are blooming as a centre of attraction due to fine chemical stability, and easy extraction. Also owing to a 2.2–2.8 electron volt (eV) narrow bandgap, BFO to has turned into a competent photocatalyst for efficient visible light absorption. So, keeping in mind the advantages of BFO and reviewing previous reports, the present review offers a deep overview of conventional heterojunctions and advanced Z-scheme heterojunctions. The main focus of the review is on BFO-based Z-scheme heterojunctions along with photocatalytic mechanisms and various applications. The successful construction of BFO-based Z-scheme heterojunction eliminates drawbacks of bare BFO photocatalysts such as short-lived charge carriers, and high recombination rate, and also enhances light absorption of the system as a whole. Because of spatially separated oxidation and reduction sites and efficacious charge migration, BFO-based Z-scheme heterojunctions are proficient contenders among photocatalytic materials. Therefore, BFO-based Z-scheme heterojunctions are aptly used nowadays, in various fields like pollutant degradation, wastewater treatment, organic synthesis, hydrogen production, and treatment of antibiotics.