Nanocrystals of all-inorganic metal chalcohalides
having
a combination of chalcogen and halogen anions with appropriate crystal
structure and bandgap can be ideal semiconductors in comparison to
the well-established multicomponent family of nanostructures. These
materials are one of the overlooked semiconductors which could play
a paramount role in photocatalysis due to their stability, low-dimensional
(1D) structure, and suitable bandgaps with efficient light-responsive
nature. Emphasizing these materials, in this Review, recent developments
in the design and application of different chalcohalide nanostructures
are reported. The initial part is focused on the syntheses and crystal
structures of reported chalcohalide materials, followed by an
overview of their photocatalytic applications in different aspects.
Finally, the successes and challenges associated with the future progress
using these materials are discussed. This Review will provide an extended
understanding and offer a preferred direction for the innovative design
of these materials for environmental and especially energy-based applications.