Enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity in BiOCl/SnO₂: heterojunction of two wide band-gap semiconductors

Abstract

A series of BiOCl/SnO2 heterojunctions exhibiting exceptional visible light photocatalytic performance has been successfully prepared using a two-step solution route.

Constructing Bi24O31Cl10/BiOCl heterojunction via a simple thermal annealing route for achieving enhanced photocatalytic activity and selectivity

“…Thus, it is expected that the benzyl alcohol conversion efficiency over the present samples may be not related to the charge-transfer complex formed between photocatalysts and benzyl alcohol. The photocatalytic activity of BiOCl under visible light irradiation may be related to the special nanosheet structure and vacancy associates in BiOCl2359. The conversion efficiency reaches a maximum of approximately 40.3% with increasing the annealing temperature to 450 °C, however, further increase of the annealing temperature leads to an obvious decrease in the conversion efficiency.…”

“…It often shows high photocatalytic performance than TiO 2 (P25, Degussa) under UV-light irradiation due to its unique layered atomic structure, which favors the transfer and separation of photogenerated charge carriers and subsequently enhances the photocatalytic activity2122. However, BiOCl is a wide-band-gap (3.17 ~ 3.54 eV) semiconductor2324, which leads to a poor photocatalytic performance under visible light irradiation.…”

BiOCl/BiOBr Heterojunction with Rich Oxygen Vacancies Induced by Ultraviolet and Its Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance

“…The two peaks located at 68.68 and 69.61 eV (Figure c) are associated with Br 3d 5/2 and Br 3d 3/2 , respectively . Figure d express two peaks at 530.41 and 532.27 eV, which can correspond to Bi–O bonds of BOCBuv and the surface OVs, respectively . Figure e exhibits two peaks located at 198.27 and 199.87 eV, which can be attributed to Cl 2p 3/2 and Cl 2p 1/2 …”

Novel one-pot synthesis and sensitisation of new BiOCl–Bi2S3 nanostructures from DES medium displaying high photocatalytic activity

“…14 BiOCl has a tetragonal structure, formed by layers of [Bi2O2] 2+ intercalated with a double layer of chloride ions accommodated in the interlayers, with interlayer distance of 7.38 Å. Due to its layered structure this material can be prepared in a wide range of sizes and shapes, with sheet and plate-like morphologies the most commonly reported [5][6][7]10,[14][15][16] , however hexagonal prisms 8 and hierarchical structures resulting from distinct assembling of nanosheets are also reported. 4,7,9,11 BiOCl is a semiconductor with wide band gap and indirect band gap energy (Eg).…”

“…11,21 The sensitization with other inorganic materials such as SnO2, Co3O4, WO3, Fe3O4, Bi2O3, Bi2S3 and Bi has also been reported. 16,17,[22][23][24][25][26][27] Of those, bismuth sulphide (Bi2S3) may be a suitable candidate since it displays photocatalytic activity towards dyes degradation under UV light irradiation. 28 Cao et al 25 and Cheng et al 27 have used a two-step process to prepare the BiOCl nanostructures and further sensitize with Bi2S3 through an ion exchange method using thioacetamine, thiourea and cysteine as sulphur precursors.…”