Enhanced photocatalytic activity induced by sp³ to sp² transition of carbon dopants in BiOCl crystals

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Applied Catalysis B: Environmental

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2017.09.037· OSTI ID:1462040

Sun, Jianguo ^[1]; Wu, Sujuan ^[2]; Yang, Shi-Ze ^[3]; Li, Qi ^[1]; Xiong, Jiawei ^[1]; Yang, Zhenzhong ^[4]; Gu, Lin ^[4]; Zhang, Xixiang ^[5]; Sun, Lidong ^[1]

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1. Chongqing University, Chongqing (China). Electron Microscopy Center of Chongqing University, College of Materials Science and Engineering
2. Chongqing University, Chongqing (China). Electron Microscopy Center of Chongqing University, College of Materials Science and Engineering; Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science and Technology Division
3. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science and Technology Division
4. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China). Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics
5. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. (KAUST), Thuwal (Saudi Arabia). Division of Physical Science and Engineering

The insufficient light absorption and low quantum efficiency limit the photocatalytic performance of wide bandgap semiconductors. Here, we report a facile strategy to engineer the surface disordered defects of BiOCl nanosheets via carbon doping. The surface defects boost the light absorption and also the quantum yields, as the doped carbon atoms exhibit a transition from sp³ to sp² hybridization at elevated temperature, corresponding toa change of assembly state from 3D cluster to 2D graphite-like structure. This transition results in an effective charge separation and thus one order of enhancement in photocatalytic activity toward phenol degradation under visible light. The current study opens an avenue to introduce sp³ to sp² transition of carbon dopants for simultaneous increment of light absorption and quantum efficiency for application in photocatalysis and energy conversion.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 1462040
• Journal Information: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, Vol. 221, Issue C; ISSN 0926-3373
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English