Visible- and NIR-Light Responsive Black-Phosphorus-Based Nanostructures in Solar Fuel Production and Environmental Remediation.

Direct utilization of the full spectrum of renewable solar light, in particular the visible- and near-infrared (NIR) portions, is currently receiving a great deal of attention in solar-to-chemical energy conversion-a clean, economically, and environmentally sustainable process. Black phosphorus (BP), a newly emerging class of ultrathin 2D nanomaterials rediscovered in early 2014, fulfills this purpose due to its unique properties like high charge-carrier mobility and tunable direct-bandgap. To this end, the rational combinations of BP in the form of few-layer nanosheets or ultrasmall quantum dots with a range of organic and inorganic nanomaterials offer more versatile and robust hybrids and nanocomposites that are functional in solar fuel production and environmental remediation. Herein, the most recent and key achievements of BP-based nanostructured photocatalysts in water splitting, organic pollutant degradation, and nitrogen fixation under either visible- or NIR-light illumination are summarized. Furthermore, perspectives on the potential future research directions are provided.