Indirect Substitution Constructing Halogen-Vacancy BiOCl1–xIn Solid Solution with a Suitable Surface Structure for Enhanced Photoredox Performance

Photocatalytic technology has made a series of breakthroughs in environmental remediation, but the degradation performance of persistent heavy metal ions and organic pollutants is not particularly excellent. In addition, the layered structure of bismuth oxyhalides (BiOX, X = I, Br, and Cl) has been a popular material for photodegradation and photoelectrochemistry. Accordingly, with a view to construct a suitable band structure and control the surface structure, it is necessary to develop a strategy to synthesize a BiOCl 1– x I n solid solution with halogen vacancies. In this study, halogen vacancies are in situ introduced into the BiOCl 1– x I n solid solution through constructing chemical bonds between the hydroxyl groups in glycerol and the I ions during the growth process. The band of the halogen-vacancy BiOCl 1– x I n solid solution is widened and active sites centered at halogen vacancies are formed in the direction favorable for the photocatalytic reaction, resulting in enhanced performance in the reduction of Cr(VI) and the oxidation of phenol. The results obtained can provide a new idea for the design of efficient photocatalysts by controlling the formation of halogen vacancies.