Thickness-dependent layered BiOIO3 modified with carbon quantum dots for photodegradation of bisphenol A: Mechanism, pathways and DFT calculation

Semiconductor photocatalysis has a great prospect in solving the problems of environmental pollution. Herein, the thickness-dependent BiOIO3 loaded by carbon quantum dots (CQDs/BiOIO3) was first synthesized. The 3 wt% CQDs/BiOIO3 with sheet-like morphology exhibited the highest efficiency of 95.01 % for the photodegradation of bisphenol A after 60 min. The outstanding photocatalytic activity was ascribed to two aspects: the first was the efficient separation of photogenic e(-)-h(+) in thin layered BiOIO3 (50 nm); the second was the acceleration of charge transfer and the extension of light absorption after the CQDs co-catalysis. The h(+) and O-center dot(2)- were dominant active species in the degradation process and possible mechanism was deeply studied. The attacked sites of bisphenol A were ascertained by Fukui index and the degradation pathways were proposed through the LC-MS analysis. This work significantly deepens the understanding of layered bismuth-based material and provides ideas for the design of high-performance catalysts.

Automated summary

In this study, a thickness-dependent BiOIO3 loaded by carbon quantum dots (CQDs/BiOIO3) was synthesized, showing high efficiency in the photodegradation of bisphenol A. The efficient separation of photogenic charges and the enhancement of charge transfer and light absorption were identified as the key factors contributing to the outstanding photocatalytic activity. The dominant active species and degradation pathways were studied, providing insights for the design of high-performance catalysts based on layered bismuth-based materials.