BiOCl Nanosheets with Vacancy Containing (001) and (110) Facets for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Contaminants

Constructing defective BiOCl with exposed, specific facet junctions is essential for improving photocatalytic performance. Herein, the oxygen-vacancy (OV) BiOCl nanosheets with exposed (001)/(110) facet junctions have been prepared by solvothermal reaction. Integrating active (001)/(110) facets with OVs in BiOCl thin nanosheets achieved an excellent photocatalytic performance in the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), ciprofloxacin (CIP) pollutants and in the H2 production under visible light. Particularly, the BOC-120 sample can degrade 98% RhB pollution within 10 min under natural light. The results prove that the efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers depends on the thin structure with OVs and the active (001)/(110) facet junction. The photocatalytic degradation pathways of RhB molecules over BOC-120 were further studied by liquid chromatography analysis with mass spectrometry, which was consistent with the results of total organic carbon testing. This innovation provides guidance for research on the practical applications of photocatalysts.