Solvent-exfoliation of transition-metal dichalcogenide MoS2 to provide more active sites for enhancing photocatalytic performance of BiOIO3/g-C3N4 photocatalyst

Abstract

The ternary complex photocatalysts of BiOIO3/g-C3N4/MoS2 by solvent-exfoliation method was synthesized for the first time. In the typical procedure, the BiOIO3/g-C3N4 was obtained via hydrothermal synthesis technique, and then the BiOIO3/g-C3N4/MoS2 photocatalysts were prepared via ultrasonic solvent-exfoliation method from bulk commercial MoS2 in the alcohol solution. The samples of BiOIO3/g-C3N4/MoS2 were analyzed by PL, XRD and other characterization analysis methods. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared samples was investigated by removing gas phase mercury irradiation under visible light. The as-prepared BCM-0.3 exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance, being with the highest efficiency of 70.58%. Owing to the electronic channels of field-effect, an internal electric field was formed through the corresponding band-gap engineering, improving photocatalytic reaction. Besides, the excellent activity of the ternary photocatalysts BiOIO3/g-C3N4/MoS2 is attributed to heterostructure between BiOIO3/g-C3N4 and MoS2, which enlarges spectral response and improved separation efficiency of charge carriers, and MoS2-composing, which provides more active sites for catalytic oxidation. In addition, the as-prepared samples with excellent photocatalytic performance also offer a perspective insight into the hydrogen evolution, CO2 conversion and degradation of organic pollutants.