Room temperature synthesis of ultrathin iodine-doped BiOCl nanosheets

Abstract

In recent years, scientists have been striving to produce highly efficient photocatalysts through green and efficient synthesis methods. In this work, at room temperature, ultrathin iodine-doped BiOCl nanosheets were synthesized by template-free precipitation method for the first time. The catalyst exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity and good durability for the removal of RhB under simulated solar irradiation. Transmission electron microscopy showed that it consists of a large number of ultrathin nanosheets (1–4 layers). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that oxygen vacancies exist on the catalyst surface. The significant increase in the photocatalytic activity of ultrathin nanosheets can be attributed to the reduction of its longitudinal dimension and the existence of surface defects.