title: Facet-dependent catalytic activity of nanosheet-assembled bismuth oxyiodide microspheres in degradation of bisphenol A.
abstract: Photocatalysts with different exposed facets often exhibit different photochemical performances, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we synthesized two nanosheet-assembled bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) microspheres with exposed (110) and (001) facets, respectively, to further investigate facet-dependent photocatalytic activity. Our experimental results showed that the BiOI microspheres with exposed (110) facets exhibited much greater catalytic activity than the BiOI microspheres with exposed (001) facets in the degradation of bisphenol A under visible light irradiation. Density functional theory calculation revealed that the (110) facets can adsorb a greater amount of O2 and, thus, form more O2(•-) and (•)OH radicals than the (001) facets. The electron spin resonance spectroscopy and radical scavenging experiments verified that the BiOI microspheres with exposed (110) facets could produce a greater amount of O2(•-) radicals than the BiOI microspheres with exposed (001) facets, and more importantly, between the two BiOI products, only the BiOI microspheres with exposed (110) facets could generate (•)OH radicals directly. The facet-dependent radical formation mechanisms were previously unidentified. The findings of this study may have important implications for the understanding of the facet-dependent photochemical performance of photocatalysts and the design of novel catalytic materials with inorganic nanostructures.
authors.affiliation: †College of Environmental Science and Engineering/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Wei Jin Road 94, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Meilan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: ‡School of Physics and Materials Science, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230039, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Haijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: †College of Environmental Science and Engineering/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Wei Jin Road 94, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guandao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: †College of Environmental Science and Engineering/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Wei Jin Road 94, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: †College of Environmental Science and Engineering/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Wei Jin Road 94, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001729:Bismuth / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D000067493:Dynamic Light Scattering; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D004777:Environment; D008027:Light; D008863:Microspheres; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D010636:Phenols / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010782:Photolysis; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D001729:Bismuth; D010100:Oxygen; D010636:Phenols; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds