Vertical growth of 2D BiOCl nanosheets on FeOCl nanoplates as an efficient photo-Fenton catalyst for phenol degradation

The synthesis of the photo-Fenton catalysts with novel structures is of great importance. Herein, a novel strategy is developed for photo-Fenton catalyst via in-situ vertical growth of 2D BiOCl nanosheet on FeOCl nanoplate. The BiOCl/FeOCl demonstrates excellent photo-Fenton catalytic performance under simulated sunlight for phenol degradation. The catalytic activity of the BiOCl/ FeOCl is five times higher than that of FeOCl. The novel interface structure of -Fe-Cl-Bi- accelerates the electron transfer and increases the structural stability of BiOCl/FeOCl. The photogenerated electrons of BiOCl can reduce the Fe3+ to Fe2+ ions, which boosts the production of (OH)-O-center dot radicals. The results will expand the synthetic pathway of the Fenton catalyst with a novel interfacial structure.

Automated summary

The study reveals that the BiOCl/FeOCl synthesized by in-situ vertical growth of 2D BiOCl nanosheets on FeOCl nanoplates exhibits excellent photo-Fenton catalytic performance, with five times higher activity than FeOCl. The novel interface structure of -Fe-Cl-Bi- accelerates electron transfer and enhances the structural stability of BiOCl/FeOCl.