Facile Room-Temperature Synthesis of Biocl Hierarchical Microsphere Assembled from Nanosheets with Exposed {001} Facets for Enhanced Photosensitized Degradation

Abstract

BiOCl hierarchical microspheres assembled from nanosheets with exposed {001} facets were successfully synthesized by a facile room-temperature hydrolysis method. The resultant BiOCl photocatalyst exhibits a significantly enhanced RhB photosensitized degradation activity under visible light. The exposed {001} facets with surface defects contribute to the superior adsorption capacity of BiOCl towards RhB, which immensely accelerates the electron transfer efficiency from the excited RhB into the conduction band of BiOCl, forming superoxide radical active species to degrade the pollutants. Besides, the singlet oxygen species from dye photosensitization also play an essential role in pollutant degradation. The superior RhB-sensitized BiOCl system is expected to be applied in the degradation of other pollutants. This work provides a facile and efficient BiOCl synthesis method that is conducive to large-scale production and simultaneously opens up new ideas for the synthesis of other photocatalysts.

Keywords: BiOCl, hierarchical microsphere, exposed {001} facets, oxygen vacancy, photosensitized degradation