Bi quantum dots implanted 2D C-doped BiOCl nanosheets: Enhanced visible light photocatalysis efficiency and reaction pathway

The simultaneous integration of heteroatom doping and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) modulation on semiconductor photocatalysts could be capable of improving visible light utilization and charge separation, achieving better solar light conversion and photocatalysis efficiency. For this purpose, we have designed a novel Bi quantum dots (QDs) implanted C-doped BiOCl photocatalyst (C/BOC/B) for NOx removal. The feasibility was firstly evaluated through density functional theory (DFT) calculations methods, which indicates that the enhanced photocatalytic performance could be expected owing to the synergistic effects of doped C heteroatoms and loaded Bi QDs. Then, the C/BOC/B was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method and exhibited efficient and stable visible light photocatalytic NO removal. The results found that the doped C atoms can serve as electron guides to induce oriented charge transfer from Bi QDs to BiOCl, while the Bi QDs can act as light-capture and electron-donating sites. The reaction pathway and mechanism for NO conversion was unveiled by in situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy combined with DFT calculation. The enhanced adsorption of reactants and intermediates could promote the overall reaction efficiency and selectivity in photocatalytic NO conversion. This work could provide a new perspective on the mechanistic understanding of the synergistic effects toward non-metal doping and SPR effects in semiconductor photocatalysts, and this presented technique could be extended for other semiconductor materials.