Reinforced charge separation via Fe-doped Bi12O17Cl2 nanotube with UV–Vis and Near-Infrared responsive photocatalytic properties

Full-spectrum responsive and effective charge separation efficiency are still important factors for enhanced photocatalytic activity. Herein, a one-dimensional Bi12O17Cl2 nanotube (Fe-Bi12O17Cl2) has been synthesized successfully, which could simultaneously expand the ability of light absorption and charge separation. As the results, Fe-Bi12O17Cl2 could realize the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) pollutants under near-infrared and full-spectrum light irradiation, and compared with Bi12O17Cl2 nanotube, the photocatalytic performance was improved by 3.49 and 1.93 times, respectively. Mechanism studies have shown that the Fe-doped strategy could introduce variable valence Fe3+, forming a Fe2+/Fe3+ cycle, which promotes efficient charge transfer and further enhances the activity of the photocatalytic reaction. Overall, this work provides new sight into the design of high-performance photocatalysts.