Advances in the optical and electronic properties and applications of bismuth-based semiconductor materials

In recent years, bismuth-based semiconductors have become a research hotspot in the new semiconductor field due to their unique optical and electronic properties. In addition, due to the simple fabrication process and controllable shape and size of these materials, they are widely used in the fields of optoelectronic devices, electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, biomedicine, etc. However, the current review papers on bismuth-based semiconductors mainly focus on the field of photocatalysis, while the applications of other fields are rarely reported, and the comprehensive summary of optical and electronic properties and applications of bismuth-based semiconductors are also lacking. Therefore, in this review, a variety of typical bismuth-based semiconductor materials are introduced in detail, including their lattice structures, optical and electronic properties and modification studies. In addition, the relationship between the bulk composition and photoelectric properties is analyzed, which will promote the future research on how to systematically control the photoelectric properties of bismuth-based materials. Secondly, the preparation methods of different bismuth-based semiconductor materials and applications in the field of optoelectronics are evaluated. Finally, the challenges faced by bismuth-based semiconductor materials in academic studies and industrial applications are pointed out, and the future work is prospected. In recent years, bismuth-based semiconductors have become a research hotspot in the new semiconductor field due to their unique optical and electronic properties.