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Z-scheme CdIn2S4/BiOCl nanosheet face-to-face heterostructure: in-situ synthesis and enhanced interfacial charge transfer for high-efficient photocatalytic performance

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Abstract

In this work, a novel Z-scheme CdIn2S4 nano-octahedron/BiOCl nanosheet (CIS/BOC) heterostructure was successfully designed and synthesized via a facile in-situ hydrothermal process, where the CdIn2S4 nano-octahedra grew on the surfaces of tiny BiOCl nanosheets in a face-to-face way. The structure, morphology and optical properties of as-prepared samples were characterized through various technologies. The photocatalytic activities were systematically evaluated by the degradation of methyl orange (MO), tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and rhodamine B (RhB) under simulated solar light irradiation. The degradation results displayed that all CIS/BOC composites exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic activities toward MO degradation in comparison with the bare CdIn2S4 and BiOCl. Simultaneously, the obtained CIS/BOC-2 with 6 wt.% BiOCl nanosheets loaded possessed the optimal photocatalytic performance, and its rate constant was about 3.6 and 2.59 times as high as those of bare CdIn2S4 and BiOCl. Furthermore, the CIS/BOC-2 nanocomposite with superior photostability and repeatability also presented high photocatalytic activities for the removal of both antibiotics (TCH) and dyestuff (RhB). The unique Z-scheme face-to-face heterostructure with intimate contacted interface in CIS/BOC-x nanocomposites provided more charge transfer nanochannels, shortened the migration distance and boosted the separation of photoinduced charge carriers, resulting in the excellent photocatalytic activities. Our study may provide a promising strategy to develop and synthesize other Z-scheme face-to-face composite photocatalysts with good photocatalytic performance.

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Acknowledgements

This research was sponsored by National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFE0102700) from Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of China; National Basic Research Program of China (21777062 and 21576124); and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20160495 and 21107037).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People’s Republic of China

    Yan Xiao

  2. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People’s Republic of China

    ZhiYuan Peng, Shen Zhang, Yinhua Jiang, Xuan Jing, Xinyan Yang, Jianming Zhang & Liang Ni

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  1. Yan Xiao
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  2. ZhiYuan Peng
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Xiao, Y., Peng, Z., Zhang, S. et al. Z-scheme CdIn2S4/BiOCl nanosheet face-to-face heterostructure: in-situ synthesis and enhanced interfacial charge transfer for high-efficient photocatalytic performance. J Mater Sci 54, 9573–9590 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-019-03401-2

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