Photocatalytic CO2 reduction and destruction of rhodamine B on Bi0/BiOCl with tunable oxygen vacancies induced by 60 CO γ-rays irradiation

Abstract

In this work, Bi0/OVs-BiOCl photocatalysts were in-situ constructed by irradiating BiOCl with 60Co γ-rays. The powerful penetrating ability of γ-rays induce the Bi-O bonds in BiOCl to break, thereby leading to the deoxygenation (OVs) and the formation of metal Bi0. The presence of Bi0 and OVs endows the photocatalysts with enhanced separation of photogenerated charges and enriched active sites. Under the excitation of simulated sunlight, the BOC-5 sample with an irradiation dosage of 5 KGy demonstrates the best photocatalytic performance, and the yield of CO on the sample is 2.19 μmol·g−1·h−1, which is 2.27 times higher than that on the reference sample. In-situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) reveals the formation of intermediates during the conversion of CO2 to CO. Under irradiation of a 300 W xenon lamp, the degradation rate of rhodamine B (RhB) on the BOC-5 sample is 0.05843 min−1, which is 3.42 times of that on the reference sample (0.01708 min−1). The main active species in the degradation process were explored using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and free radical capture experiments at room temperature. This study provides a novel strategy for the preparation of BiOCl-based photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity through 60Co γ-rays irradiation.