Simple Chemical Precipitation Research Articles

Novel preparation of stable and highly photocatalytic Z-scheme Cs3PW12O40/Ag3PO4 photocatalysts for the photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants in water.

The Cs3PW12O40/Ag3PO4 (CsPW/Ag3PO4) heterojunction photocatalyst in this study was prepared using a simple chemical precipitation method. Spherical CsPW particles were successfully deposited on Ag3PO4 nanocrystals, all the as-prepared samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The catalyst activity in relation to rhodamine B (RhB) degradation was evaluated under visible light (λ > 420 nm). The CsPW/Ag3PO4 heterojunction photocatalyst can effectively degrade RhB. The Z-scheme 3% CsPW/Ag3PO4 heterojunction photocatalyst has a higher photocatalytic ability compared with the single-component photocatalyst CsPW or Ag3PO4. The comparatively high photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the high matching of the energy band position and close interface contact, suggesting an enhanced separation efficiency of the photoinduced carriers of the CsPW/Ag3PO4 heterojunction photocatalyst. The reactive species trapping experiments demonstrated photogenerated holes (h+) and superoxide radicals (•O2-) to be the main active components of photocatalytic degradation. A possible photocatalytic mechanism is subsequently proposed.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of ZnO–CdS Composite Nanostructures towards the Degradation of Rhodamine B under Solar Light

A simple chemical precipitation route was utilized for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), CdS NPs and ZnO–CdS nanocomposites (NCs). The synthesized nanostructures were examined for the crystal structure, morphology, optical properties and photodegradation activity of rhodamine B (RhB) dye. The ZnO–CdS NCs showed a mixed phase of hexagonal wurtzite structure for both ZnO NPs and CdS NPs. Pure ZnO NPs and CdS NPs possessed bandgaps of 3.2617 and 2.5261 eV, respectively. On the other hand, the composite nanostructures displayed a more narrow bandgap of 2.9796 eV than pure ZnO NPs. When compared to bare ZnO NPs, the PL intensity of near-band-edge emission at 381 nm was practically suppressed, suggesting a lower rate of photogenerated electron–hole (e−/h+) pairs recombination, resulting in enhanced photocatalytic activity. Under solar light, the composite nanostructures displayed a photodegradation efficiency of 98.16% towards of RhB dye. After four trials, the structural stability of ZnO–CdS NCs was verified.

Enhanced solar water oxidation by CoWO4-WO3 heterojunction photoanode

Tungsten oxide (WO3) is a low band-gap semiconductor with valence band maximum favorably located for photo-electrochemical water oxidation under sunlight but its performance suffers from fast recombination of photo-generated electrons and holes. In order to suppress recombination and reduce photocorrosion, herein, we report the fabrication of a facile heterojunction photoanode design by combining n-type WO3 nanoplates with p-type cobalt tungstate (CoWO4) nanocuboids produced by simple chemical precipitation methods followed by their successive deposition on a FTO glass substrate. The hybrid photoanode not only exhibited a reduction of the onset potential but also demonstrated up to 2.4 times increase in the photocurrent density compared to those with the bare WO3 electrode when tested for photo-electrochemical (PEC) water oxidation using techniques such as linear sweep voltammetry, transient photo amperometry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy under 1.5 AM G simulated solar light. The band aligned hybrid design of the photoanode helped to suppress the recombination of electrons and holes before utilization in water oxidation. In addition, the use of back illumination ensured the avoidance of light shading of primary photo absorber (WO3) by the co-catalyst (CoWO4) as well as reduced photocorrosion of WO 3by electrolyte leading to enhanced and stabilized photocurrent. Thus, the CoWO4 -WO3 based novel photoanode developed in this work shows good promise as a facile, low-cost and durable photoanode for PEC water oxidation, especially at low bias as confirmed by the two-terminal measurements.

FABRICATION AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SrSiO3/TiO2 PHOTOCATALYST FOR THE DEGRADATION OF CONGO RED DYE UNDER SUNLIGHT

Titanium dioxide and strontium silicate-loaded titanium dioxide photocatalysts are prepared via a simple chemical precipitation technique using titanium tetrachloride as the precursor solution in an alkaline medium. Different characterization techniques such as x-ray diffraction analyses, field emission scanning electron microscopic analyses, transmission electron microscopic analyses, energy dispersive x-ray analyses and bet surface area studies are carried out for the synthesized photocatalysts. The enhancement in the photocatalytic activity of the strontium silicate loaded titanium dioxide against the bare titanium dioxide catalyst is investigated using congo red dye as a model pollutant. The parameters such as catalyst concentration, pH and initial dye concentration are optimized to achieve maximum degradation of congo red dye using the modified titanium dioxide photocatalyst. The kinetic studies using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model are investigated to study the rate and order of the photocatalytic dye degradation process.

Nanostructuring Nickel–Zinc–Boron/Graphitic Carbon Nitride as the Positive Electrode and BiVO4-Immobilized Nitrogen-Doped Defective Carbon as the Negative Electrode for Asymmetric Capacitors

Rationally designed compounds with exceptional surface functionalities are greatly necessary for efficient energy-storage technologies. Herein an aqueous battery-type hybrid supercapacitor device is fabricated based on amorphous nickel–zinc–boron/graphitic carbon nitride (Ni–Zn–B/g-C3N4) nanosheet network structures as the cathode and a bismuth vanadate-anchored carbon nanotube matrix with nitrogen dopants and defect sites (BiVO4/NC) as the anode. Interconnected nanosheet-assembled Ni–Zn–B/g-C3N4 porous networks are developed via a scalable liquid-phase reduction method, while the BiVO4/NC nanocomposite frameworks are prepared by a simple chemical precipitation route and annealing treatment. Because of the unique compositional and structural features as well as enhanced electrochemical properties, the as-assembled Ni–Zn–B/g-C3N4//BiVO4/NC aqueous alkaline device with a large working potential of 1.6 V exhibits a remarkable energy-storage capability with a high energy density of 78.4 Wh kg–1 and a power density of 907.7 W kg–1 together with a good cyclic performance (85.3% retention after 8000 cycles). Considering the intriguing results and reasonable design of the cathode and anode materials, this work provides a significant prospect for designing a high-performance energy-storage system. The intrinsically enhanced electrochemical performances of heterostructured Ni–Zn–B/g-C3N4 and BiVO4/NC demonstrate their potential utilization in energy-storage systems.

Cu-ZnO nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange

Photocatalytic degradation of textile dye derivative Methyl Orange (M.O) has been studied in aqueous medium using 2% copper doped zinc oxide (2% Cu-ZnO) nanoparticles under UV irradiation. Simple inexpensive chemical precipitation method was used for synthesis of pure and copper doped zinc oxide nanoparticles. The prepared nanoparticles pure and copper doped zinc oxide was characterized by X-ray Diffraction Technique (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis. The prepared nanoparticles were hexagonal wurzite structure. Photocatalytic efficiency of 2% Cu-ZnO were evaluated by studying mineralization of methyl orange (M.O.) as a model compound. The M.O. kinetics degradation was investigated under different parameters such as pH of the medium, catalyst dosage, M.O concentration, intensity of light etc. In addition reusability aspects of nanoparticles where also studied, which reveals that reused nanoparticles exhibited same results as that of virgin particles. Copyright © 2018 VBRI Press.

Organic-inorganic hybrid hole transport layers with SnS doping boost the performance of perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have demonstrated excellent photovoltaic performance which currently rival the long-standing silicon solar cells’ efficiency. However, the relatively poor device operational stability of PSCs still limits their future commercialization. Binary sulfide is a category of materials with promising optoelectrical properties, which shows the potential to improve both the efficiency and stability of PSCs. Here we demonstrate that the inorganic tin monosulfide (SnS) can be an efficient dopant in 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxy-phenylamine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD) to form a composite hole transport layer (HTL) for PSCs. SnS nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized through a simple chemical precipitation method exhibit good crystallization and suitable band matching with the perovskites. The introduction of SnS NPs in Spiro-OMTAD HTLs enhanced charge extraction, reduced trap state density, and shallowed trap state energy level of the devices based on the composite HTLs. Therefore, the resulting solar cells employing SnS-doped spiro-OMeTAD HTLs delivered an improved stabilized power output efficiency of 21.75% as well as enhanced long-term stability and operational stability. Our results provide a simple method to modify the conventional spiro-OMeTAD and obtain PSCs with both high efficiency and good stability.

Influence of RE (Pr3+, Er3+, Nd3+) doping on structural, vibrational and enhanced persistent photocatalytic properties of ZnO nanostructures

Rare earth (RE- Pr, Er and Nd) doped ZnO nanostructures were prepared through simple wet chemical precipitation route. The RE doping induced interesting morphological transition from spherical to flower like structures were analyzed. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements revealed that the prepared materials were of highly crystalline in nature and RE dopant ions did not altered the crystal structure of ZnO. The microstrain of ZnO was altered with respect to the nature of dopants. In the case of the Pr doped ZnO, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed that the dopant (Pr) ions successfully substituted in the ZnO lattice. Raman spectra revealed RE doping induced lower energy side shift and variation in intensity of the peaks related to the characteristic phonon modes of ZnO. In the case of Nd doped ZnO nanostructures, dopant induced suppression in classical Raman modes and evolution of multiphonon related modes were identified. Optical diffuse reflectance spectral (DRS) measurements, along with the characteristic excitonic band of ZnO, other bands associated to the transitions of 4f energy levels related to the RE ions were observed. The partially filled 4f orbitals led to the enhanced photocatalytic activity in RE doped ZnO nanostructures. The observed enhanced photocatalytic activity in RE doped ZnO when compared to bare ZnO was discussed. The decolorization efficiency of MB ensued the following order 96 > 94 > 86 > 78% for ZnErO, ZnNdO, ZnPrO and ZnO, respectively.

Soft Chemical Synthesis and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Cobalt-Doped Gd2O3 Nanoparticles

Gd2-xCoxO3-δ (where x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5) nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple chemical precipitation method. XRD data revealed the presence of a cubic crystalline structure in the samples. FTIR data showed a peak at 441 cm−1 which is due to Gd-O vibration mode. Particle size analysis indicated particles in the range of 290.5–616.6 nm. SEM studies revealed agglomeration of particles. The presence of cobalt dopant with varying compositions was further confirmed from EDX. The band gap of Gd2-xCoxO3-δwas found to be in the range of 3.57 − 4.93 eV.

Efficiency of cerium oxide (CeO2) nano-catalyst in degrading the toxic and persistent 4-nitrophenol in aqueous solution

Cerium oxide (CeO2) generally termed as nanoceria is a rare earth metal oxide, that has become an vital key ingredient in many wide range of applications in different fields like gas sensors, ultraviolet absorbents, catalysis, solid oxide fuel cells, glass-polishing materials etc., In this work, Cerium oxide nanoparticles with uniform structure have been prepared by simple Chemical Precipitation method by using Cerium nitrate hexahydrate as the precursor. The synthesized nanoparticles have been characterised by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, EDAX, TEM, XPS etc., The results of the characterization studies revealed the formation of CeO2 nanoparticles. The photocatalytic ability of the synthesized nanoparticles was studied by degrading 4-nitrophenol dye under visible light irradiation.

Enhancing the Kinetic Process in Biphasic Crystalline NiWO4 /Amorphous Co-B Electrode Materials toward Energy Storage with Ultrahigh Rate Performance.

Here, we report a two-phase crystalline NiWO4 /amorphous Co-B nanocomposite as an electrode material for supercapacitors, which is effectively synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method and chemical precipitation method. The obtained NiWO4 /Co-B exhibits crystal-amorphous contact, which makes it have more active sites than other crystalline-crystalline phase boundaries, thereby enhancing electron transport. The NiWO4 /Co-B electrode with the best mass ratio of crystalline and amorphous exhibits a great specific capacitance and excellent cycle durability. Compared to individual Co-B and NiWO4 , it also shows enhanced rate capability Besides, NiWO4 /Co-B/activated carbon supercapacitor device can provide a good specific capacitance and a maximum energy density of 10.92 Wh kg-1 at 200 W kg-1 . This work provides new insights to develop novel electrode materials for energy storage and conversion.

One pot facile chemical synthesis of Mn doped ZnAl2O4 nanostructured spinel materials for efficient photocatalytic degradation of malachite green dye under visible light irradiation

We report the facile synthesis of Mn doped ZnAl2O4 (MZA) (Zn1- x Mn x Al2O4-δ, where x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) nanostructured materials by simple chemical precipitation technique. Cubic crystalline structure of the samples was confirmed by XRD. Presence of metal–oxygen (Zn–O) bond in the materials was found out by FTIR analysis. The particle size analysis and SEM confirmed the presence of nanosized grains in the samples. Occurrence of appropriate amount of Zn, Al, O, and Mn was detected by EDAX analysis. The optical characteristics of Zn1- x Mn x Al2O4-δ were studied using UV spectral studies. The band gap of these materials was found to be in the range of 2.65 to 3.001 eV. The photocatalytic degradation of malachite green (MG) dye over Zn1-xMnxAl2O4-δ nanoparticle suspensions in presence of visible light was investigated in aqueous solution. Zn0.8Mn0.2Al2O4-δ could degrade 57% of MG dye after 120 minutes of irradiation at room temperature.

Facile synthesis of Ni-doped ZnS-CdS composite and their magnetic and photoluminescence properties

ZnS and CdS are promising semiconductors due to their excellent optical and catalyst properties. But, its low photon efficiency and high photo corrosion limit their practical applications. Heterojunctions construction and designing advanced structures with a suitable transition metal ions doping are active methods to improve the properties of semiconductors. In this work, Ni-doped ZnS-CdS hybrid composite was successfully synthesized using a simple chemical precipitation technique. X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, TEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy, PL, and VSM measurements were used to investigate the structural, morphological, optical, and magnetic properties of Ni-doped ZnS-CdS hybrid composite. The XRD analysis confirmed the incorporation of Ni2+ ions into the host lattice and the calculated average crystallite size is ~15.5 nm. The optical and EPR analysis confirmed that the dopant (Ni2+) ions occupy octahedral sites in the host lattice. From the CIE chromaticity diagram, it is revealed that the hybrid composite displayed green light emission. The presence of Zn-S and Cd-S vibrational bands is confirmed from the FT-IR spectrum. Room temperature ferromagnetism was observed in the Ni-doped ZnS-CdS hybrid composite.

Zeolite 4A supported CdS/g-C3N4 type-II heterojunction: A novel visible-light-active ternary nanocomposite for potential photocatalytic degradation of cefoperazone

The CdS/g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalyst supported on 4A zeolite was successfully synthesized using a simple chemical precipitation method. The physicochemical characteristics of the as-prepared ternary composite were assessed using X-Ray diffraction (XRD), field emission- scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption–desorption, differential reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis-DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) techniques. The results confirmed the successful synthesis of the CdS/g-C3N4/4AZ nanocomposite and introduction of the CdS and g-C3N4 on the substrate of 4A zeolite. Cefoperazone (CFP) antibiotic was tested as the model pollutant to assess the photocatalytic performance of the synthesized nanocomposite under visible light irradiation. The response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) showed desirable reasonability for the prediction of the CFP degradation efficiency. More than 93% of CFP with a concentration of 17 mg L-1 degraded in the presence of the 0.4 g L-1 of the catalyst at pH of 9 after 80 min treatment time (RSM-based optimization results). The pH of the solution, irradiation time, catalyst dosage, and the initial concentration of the CFP affected degradation efficiency with a percentage impact of 37, 29, 19, and 15 %, respectively (ANN-based modeling results). The addition of 1 mM of isopropanol, benzoquinone, and sodium oxalate reduced the CFP degradation efficiency from 93.23% to 85.18, 41.16, and 32.47%, respectively, proving the decisive role of the °O2– and h+ in the photodegradation process. The kinetic studies indicated the following of the process from the Langmuir-Hinshelwood’s pseudo-first-order model (kapp = 3.71 × 10-2 min−1). The structure of the identified by-products using GC-MS analysis confirmed that CFP mainly decomposed through the cleavage of C-S, C-N, and N-N bonds. Moreover, the formation of the aliphatic compounds and carboxylic acids as by-products confirmed nearly complete mineralization of the CFP to non-toxic products.

Solochrome Dark Blue Azo Dye Removal by Sonophotocatalysis Using Mn2+ Doped ZnS Quantum Dots

This work investigates the degradation of the azo dye solochrome dark blue (SDB) by measurement of the photocatalytic, sonocatalytic and sonophotocatalytic activities, under low ultrasonic frequency (40 kHz) and UV-C (254 nm) light, using Mn-doped ZnS semiconductor quantum dots (Mn2+:ZnS Qds) as catalysts, prepared by a simple chemical precipitation procedure. In order to study the different morphological and optical crystal properties, various characterization techniques were used, such as high resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption at −196 °C and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The average particle size of the semiconductor Qds was in the range of 3–4 nm. The optimal parameters affecting dye degradation, such as the catalyst loading, solution pH, time of irradiation, initial concentration of dye, dopant concentration, ultrasonic power and frequency effect were evaluated. The synthesized catalytic material exhibited a high activity for sonophotocatalytic degradation of SDB (89%), larger than that observed for sonocatalysis (69.7%) or photocatalysis (55.2%) alone, which was due to the improved electron-holes separation, formation of more reactive radicals and enhancement of the active surface area. Qds showed good stability and reusability after five repeated cycles. Finally, the degradation products were identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

Hydroxyapatite integrated with cellulose acetate/polyetherimide composite membrane for biomedical applications

AbstractIn this study, we describe the experience of a simple, cost‐efficient preparation and characterization of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanomaterial incorporated cellulose acetate/polyetherimide membrane for adsorption and biomedical applications. A simple chemical precipitation technique has been used for the synthesis of HA nanoparticles. The membrane was then developed by incorporating nanoparticles into different compositions of cellulose acetate and polyetherimide by using a phase inversion technique. Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction spectroscopy, high‐resolution transmission electron microscope, field emission scanning electron microscope, and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy were used to characterize the structural analysis and morphology of the nanoparticles and polymer membrane. Thermo gravimetric analysis was used to describe thermal characteristics. The contact angle value and wettability test were used to determine the hydrophilicity of the polymer membrane. The images from the scanning electron microscope analysis indicate that the addition of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles causes significant morphological changes in the membrane's surface and cross section. When compared with a control membrane, the presence of inorganic nanoparticles elucidated the impact on thermal and hydrophilic properties. The CA/PEI/HA membrane can be used as an adsorbent material in dye adsorption experiments with model dyes such as Malachite green, Methylene blue as cationic dyes, and Eriochrome black T, Congo red as anionic dyes. In addition, the biocompatibility of the CA/PEI/HA membrane was tested using cell cytotoxicity against THP‐1 human monocytic leukemia cells.

INVESTIGATIONS ON CHITOSAN/α-Fe O NANOCOMPOSITE FOR 2 3 EFFICIENT ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY

Chitosan capped with α-Fe O nanocomposite was prepared by simple chemical precipitation method. The synthesized 2 3 Chitosan/α-Fe O nanocomposite was characterised by FTIR, UV–visible spectroscopy and XRD analysis. These results 2 3 showed that α-Fe O nanoparticles were successfully grown on the surface of chitosan. The FTIR vibrational peaks conrm the blending between 2 3 Chitosan and α-Fe O nanoparticles. Chitosan/α-Fe O nanocomposite. 2 3 2 3 Ultraviolet-Visible absorption spectra explain the optical property of The sharp peaks in XRD pattern indicate the increase in crystallinity nature of Chitosan/α-Fe O nanocomposite. Finally, the prepared Chitosan/α- 2 3 Fe O nanocomposite was tested for antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

Ignition and oxidation performance of SnO2 coated boron particles: A solid fuel for energetic applications

The ignition performance of boron is limited by the presence of a natural oxide layer on its surface. As a result, despite its high volumetric and gravimetric heat of combustion, its use in high energetic applications remains rare. To improve its ignition performance, and its eventual use in energetic applications, we coated micro sized boron particles with nanometer sized SnO2 nanoparticles using a simple chemical precipitation method. Several samples were prepared by varying the chemical precipitation time on the boron surface. A structural study of the SnO2 coated boron particles determined the formation of nanocrystalline SnO2 nanoparticles on the surface of the boron particles. Surface morphology showed the small sized SnO2 nanoparticles were distributed over the boron surface. EDS and XPS techniques confirmed the presence of B, Sn, and O elements in the SnO2 coated boron samples. TEM analysis supported the results of the surface morphology, and confirmed the apparent size of SnO2 nanoparticles to be in the range of 3–20 nm. TGA was used to study the oxidation behavior of the boron and SnO2 coated boron particles in an air atmosphere. It showed an approximate 20% reduction in the mass gain of boron at 1000 °C, as well as a shift, 160 °C lower, in the onset oxidation temperature after the coating of SnO2 nanoparticles. A shock tube study measured a significant enhancement in the ignition performance of boron. The SnO2 coated boron particles resulted in a 19% decrease in ignition delay time compared with pure boron particles.

Ionic Liquid-Assisted Synthesis of Ag3PO4 Spheres for Boosting Photodegradation Activity under Visible Light

In this work, a simple chemical precipitation method was employed to prepare spherical-like Ag3PO4 material (IL-Ag3PO4) with exposed {111} facet in the presence of reactive ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazole dihydrogen phosphate ([Omim]H2PO4). The crystal structure, microstructure, optical properties, and visible-light photocatalytic performance of as-prepared materials were studied in detail. The addition of ionic liquids played a crucial role in forming spherical-like morphology of IL-Ag3PO4 sample. Compared with traditional Ag3PO4 material, the intensity ratio of {222}/{200} facets in XRD pattern of IL-Ag3PO4 was significantly enhanced, indicating the main {111} facets exposed on the surface of IL-Ag3PO4 sample. The presence of exposed {111} facet was advantageous for facilitating the charge carrier transfer and separation. The light-harvesting capacity of IL-Ag3PO4 was larger than that of Ag3PO4. The photocatalytic activity of samples was evaluated by degrading rhodamine B (RhB) and p-chlorophenol (4-CP) under visible light. The photodegradation efficiencies of IL-Ag3PO4 were 1.94 and 2.45 times higher than that of Ag3PO4 for RhB and 4-CP removal, respectively, attributing to a synergy from the exposed {111} facet and enhanced photoabsorption. Based on active species capturing experiments, holes (h+), and superoxide radical (•O2−) were the main active species for visible-light-driven RhB photodegradation. This study will provide a promising prospect for designing and synthesizing ionic liquid-assisted photocatalysts with a high efficiency.

Mechanism insights into the facet-dependent photocatalytic degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid on BiOCl nanosheets

Photocatalytic degradation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remains insufficient. It is vital to investigate the structure–activity relationship between exposed facets and photocatalytic activity of PFAS. In this study, BiOCl nanosheets with predominantly exposed {010} or {001} facets (i.e. {010}-BiOCl or {001}-BiOCl) were synthesized via the hydrothermal method and applied for the photodegradation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). We observed that the degradation rate constant of PFOA via the {010}-BiOCl (0.0954 min−1) was 2.64-fold better than that of the {001}-BiOCl (0.0361 min−1) in photocatalytic activity. Density functional theory calculation results revealed that the higher catalytic activity of {010}-BiOCl was attributed to the in-situ generated surface oxygen vacancies (OVs) and the strong interaction with PFOA molecules via the bidentate adsorption configuration. {010}-BiOCl nanosheets with OVs exhibited the highest adsorption capacity (55.6 mg g−1h−1) and lowest adsorption energy (-0.399 eV) for PFOA molecules. The electron spin resonance spectroscopy and radical scavenging experiments showed that both photogenerated holes and surface hydroxyl radicals were generated on {010} facets that contributed to the degradation of PFOA; while only photogenerated holes were formed on {001} facets. Interestingly, F− ions as the by-products were prone to attaching to the BiOCl facets to block the catalytic sites. To recover the catalytic performance, we adopted a simple chemical precipitation approach to precipitate the F− by using Ca2+ ions. Our findings provide fundamental insights into the interface reactions during the photocatalytic degradation of PFOA.