Van Der Waals gap-rich BiOCl atomic layers realizing efficient, pure-water CO₂-to-CO photocatalysis.

ABSTRACT: Photocatalytic CO₂ reduction (PCR) is able to convert solar energy into chemicals, fuels, and feedstocks, but limited by the deficiencies of photocatalysts in steering photon-to-electron conversion and activating CO₂, especially in pure water. Here we report an efficient, pure water CO₂-to-CO conversion photocatalyzed by sub-3-nm-thick BiOCl nanosheets with van der Waals gaps (VDWGs) on the two-dimensional facets, a graphene-analog motif distinct from the majority of previously reported nanosheets usually bearing VDWGs on the lateral facets. Compared with bulk BiOCl, the VDWGs-rich atomic layers possess a weaker excitonic confinement power to decrease exciton binding energy from 137 to 36 meV, consequently yielding a 50-fold enhancement in the bulk charge s

SUBMITTER: Shi Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8505634 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature