One-step solvothermal in-situ reduction strategy for effective microstructural control of Bi/BiOCl heterojunction to improve photocatalytic performance for Rhodamine B degradation
摘要
A flower-like Bi/BiOCl heterojunction photocatalyst was fabricated via a one-step in-situ solvothermal reduction strategy characterized by its simplicity and controllability. During synthesis, metallic Bi nanoparticles and BiOCl nanosheets were simultaneously formed, producing a tightly integrated metal–semiconductor interface rich in oxygen vacancies. Such structural features markedly enhanced visible-light utilization and boosted photocatalytic performance. Under natural pH conditions with a catalyst concentration of 10 mg·L⁻1, the catalyst achieved over 99.0% degradation of RhB within 4 min, yielding an apparent rate constant of 1.0233 min⁻1. The active involvement of ⋅O2⁻ and ⋅OH radicals was validated by electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis and radical scavenging tests. Moreover, insights from liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and density functional theory (DFT) demonstrated a multi-step oxidative degradation mechanism and elucidated the interfacial charge-transfer behavior between Bi and BiOCl. Overall, this research provides a straightforward and adjustable synthesis route for developing oxygen-vacancy-enriched Bi-based heterojunctions, offering valuable guidance for the rational design of high-performance photocatalysts for environmental purification.