SF₆ Photoconversion Triggered by Oxygen-Deficient ZnO Atomic Layers Under Mild Conditions

The majority of reaction conditions employed in SF₆ conversion research are characterized by elevated temperatures and pressures, resulting in a considerable expenditure of energy. The transformation of SF₆ under mild conditions represents a viable methodology at this time. It has been demonstrated that the conditions required for the photoconversion of SF₆ are relatively mild. Furthermore, the defect engineering of catalysts has been shown to be an effective strategy for enhancing the photocatalytic performance of photocatalysis. Thus, we utilized two-dimensional materials as a model for our research. These materials have active sites that are highly dense and uniform, allowing us to thoroughly examine how defects affect the SF₆ photoconversion process. By synthesizing ZnO atomic layers with oxygen vacancies and confirming their presence using various techniques, we found that these vacancies enhanced light absorption and promoted the separation of charge carriers. These results suggest that the oxygen-deficient ZnO atomic layers have superior SF₆ photoconversion performance compared to the pristine ZnO atomic layers. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that the incorporation of defects in photocatalysts is a crucial strategy for optimizing pivotal photocatalytic processes and enhancing the efficacy of SF₆ photoconversion.

We initially built clear models of two-dimensional atomic layers with defect concentrations, and hence directly disclose the defect type and distribution at atomic level. As a prototype, defective ZnO nanosheets with atomic thickness are successfully synthesized. Also, we use defective ZnO atomic layers to achieve light conversion of SF₆ under mild conditions, which provides a new path to solve the environmental pollution of perfluorinated compounds.