Recent Progress and Perspectives on Nonlead Halide Perovskites in Photocatalytic Applications

Photocatalysis is a technique and one of the prospective solar-energy-conversion strategies for addressing the current energy and environmental problems. Developing a powerful photocatalyst is the key to achieving a supernal visible-light-induced catalytic activity. Lead halide perovskites have been broadly utilized in photocatalysis with excellent performance; however, their practical applications and commercial values are extremely limited by intrinsic lead toxicity. Therefore, it is urgent and reasonable to substitute Pb with other harmless elements in halide perovskites, which has recently boomed as an attractive research field. The substitute candidates are Sn (same main group as Pb), Bi (same period as Pb), Sb, and other transition metal elements. In this review, we first give a systematic introduction to the structure and characteristics of nonlead halide perovskites. The following section provides a general description of the preparation methods and photocatalytic performance for nonlead halide perovskites. Finally, the prospects and challenges of nonlead halide perovskites in the photocatalytic field are discussed, which may facilitate and guide the future investigation of this exciting topic.