Multifunctional Bi2O2(OH)(NO3) Nanosheets with {001} Active Exposing Facets: Efficient Photocatalysis, Dye-Sensitization, and Piezoelectric-Catalysis

• Published in: ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering Vol. 6; no. 2; pp. 1848 - 1862
• Main Authors: Hao, Lin, Huang, Hongwei, Guo, Yuxi, Zhang, Yihe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 05.02.2018
• Subjects: bisphenol A; catalysts; electric field; electrons; hydroxyl radicals; methyl orange; nanosheets; nitrates; photocatalysis; rhodamines; superoxide anion; tetracycline; ultraviolet radiation; Photocatalytic; Dye-sensitization; Piezoelectric-catalytic; Active facet; Bi2O2(OH)(NO3)
• ISSN: 2168-0485; 2168-0485
• DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b03223

Exploration for multiresponsive catalytic materials and synthesis of highly active exposing crystal facets are challenging subjects for catalysis research. In this work, well-defined Bi2O2(OH)­(NO3) nanosheets (BON-S) with a dominantly exposed {001} active facet were synthesized by a sodium-dodecyl-benzenesulfonate-assisted (SDBS-assisted) soft-chemical route. BON-S presents far superior photocatalytic activity compared to bulk materials as well as a universal performance for degradation of contaminants and antibiotics under UV light. The profoundly enhanced photocatalytic activity basically stems from the largely shortened diffusion pathway of photogenerated electrons (e–) and holes (h+), favoring their migration from bulk to the surface of the catalyst under the internal electric field between [Bi2O2(OH)]+ and NO3 – layers along the [001] direction. The photocatalytic active species production rates of BON-S are determined to be 3.14 μmol L–1 min–1 for superoxide radicals (•O2 –) and 0.03 μmol L–1 min–1 for hydroxyl radicals (•OH). BON-S also shows an enhanced visible-light-responsive dye-sensitization degradation activity with Rhodamine B (RhB) as a sensitized medium to provide photoinduced e–. Moreover, for the first time we unearth that Bi2O2(OH)­(NO3) demonstrates an ultrasonic-assisted piezoelectric-catalytic performance for decomposition of methyl orange, bisphenol A, and tetracycline hydrochloride, and •OH dominates the piezoelectric-catalytic process with an evolution rate of 7.13 μmol L–1 h–1, which far exceeds the photocatalytically induced one. This study may cast new inspiration on developing a new microstructure-design strategy for high photocatalytic/dye-sensitization performance, and furnishes a novel piezoelectric-catalytic material for environmental applications.