A review of synthesis, photocatalytic, photoluminescence and antibacterial properties of bismuth vanadate-based nanomaterial

• Bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4 )-based material is a promising visible-light-induced semiconductor photocatalyst . • Monoclinic BiVO 4 shows the optimum photodegradation for pollutants such as organic dyes at a moderate band gap of 2.4 eV. • BiVO 4 material will open up a wide range of options for the synthesis of nano-dimensional bismuth-containing molecules. Bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4 )-based material is an auspicious visible-light-induced semiconductor photocatalyst that differs from other ones in several ways, including superior photostability, low toxicity, near-to-the-ground manufacturing costs, confrontation to photo-corrosion, and slender band gap that responds well to visible light stimulation. Most studies on the photodegradation of organic pollutants use BiVO 4 -based material to identify byproducts and evaluate materials’ genuine effectiveness. Only a tiny number of these works use this material to do so. The host material chosen has a significant effect on the phosphor’s luminosity. For this reason, selecting appropriate host material is critical. Due to its low cost, ease of preparation, environmental friendliness, high stability, and excellent chemical, thermal, and photostabilities, vanadate-based hosts such as bismuth vanadate have emerged as potential host materials. This substance exemplifies the dual benefits of photocatalysis and bacterial inactivation. The reduction in the specified bacterial activity demonstrated exceptional performance. Thus, it is expected that the BiVO 4 material will open up a wide range of options for synthesising unique, multifunctional nano-dimensional bismuth-containing molecules. This study covers the latest advancements in the synthesis, morphology, luminescence, antibacterial activity, and doping of BiVO 4 with lanthanides, which is shown using their correlation from the graphical abstract in Fig. 1 . It also highlights some important aspects of the photodegradation of organic pollutants under visible light. Researchers in material chemistry might find this review helpful in creating new, low-cost, highly effective photocatalysts and hosts for dopants that emit light during photoluminescence.