Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity via MoO2/BiOBr Nanohybrids under Visible and NIR light

Direct efficient employing of solar energy for environmental treatment is obtaining considerable attention at present, where the efficient utilizing the visible (Vis) and near-infrared (NIR) light is of utmost importance. Herein, the plasmonic MoO2 has been firstly employed to enhance photocatalytic activity in visible and near-infrared light. By loading MoO2 on BiOBr nanosheets, the plasmonic MoO2/BiOBr photocatalysts have been designed and synthesized through simple hydrothermal method. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of MoO2 makes the light absorption range of MoO2/BiOBr extend nearinfrared light. The MoO2/BiOBr nanohybrids display higher photocatalytic performance for rhodamine B (RhB) degradation than that of individual MoO2 and BiOBr under Vis-and NIR-light illumination. About 98% and 60% of RhB is degraded in 40 min under > 420 nm and > 780 nm light illumination. On the one hand, LSPR of MoO2 is beneficial for light absorption and utilization. On the other hand, the synergetic effect between MoO2 and BiOBr facilitates carrier generation, transportation in the interfaces of MoO2 and BiOBr, and reduce carrier recombination. Moreover, the catalytic activity of MoO2/BiOBr nanohybrid almost shows no significant weaken even after five consecutive runs. Our study may open avenues to design the efficient noble metal-free plasmonic photocatalysts for taking advantage of solar energy efficiently.