Oxygen-vacancy Ce-MoO3 nanosheets loaded Pt nanoparticles for super-efficient photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of methanol

MoO3 with Pt-like d-band center electronic structure is an ideal catalyst carrier, but its low conductivity, wide-bandgap and poor photoresponse limits the application of photoelectrocatalysis. Designing doping and oxygen vacancies simultaneously in MoO3 is a candidate strategy to address some challenges. Herein, a 2D oxygen-vacancies Ce-MoO3/Pt (OVs-Ce-MoO3/Pt) nanosheet is developed using a two-step method of hydrothermal and chemical reduction. The band gap, optical properties, and methanol adsorption capacity of MoO3 are well regulated after Ce doping and oxygen vacancy introduction. Profiting by the synergistic promotion of sufficient oxygen vacancies and Ce element, the OVs-Ce-MoO3/Pt catalyst exhibits super-efficient photoelectrocatalytic activity (2858 mA mg−1) and poisoning-tolerance ability towards methanol oxidation, which is superior to the Ovs-MoO3/Pt catalyst (1542 mA mg−1) and commercial JM Pt/C catalyst (377 mA mg−1). These results indicate that the OVs-Ce-MoO3/Pt catalyst can serve as a highly promising catalyst in the field of photoelectrocatalysis.