Size-constrained ultrathin BiOCl nanosheets@C composites with enhanced photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical performance

Abstract

Size-constrained ultrathin BiOCl nanosheets@C composites were achieved by one-step hydrothermal route. It was found that the carbon coated on the surface of BiOCl nanosheets not only accelerated the separation of electrons and holes, but also restricted the outward growth of the BiOCl crystal structure to expose more active catalytic sites. In addition, the obtained composites have stable and close interface contact, beneficial for the structural stability of products as well as the rapid charge transfer. The average sheet thickness was in the range of 20–60 nm. Compared with the ability for pure BiOCl to degrade RhB, the degradation rate of the optimal composite can reach 100% within 15 min, while the corresponding photocurrent intensity could reach 5.6 µA·cm−2, and its impedance value was also the smallest. The removal experiments of active substances showed that h+ and O−2 play important roles in the process of photocatalytic degradation. It can be expected that the resulted composites in this work can be used as potential materials for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical applications.