To boost photocatalytic activity in selective oxidation of alcohols on ultrathin Bi2MoO6 nanoplates with Pt nanoparticles as cocatalyst

Photocatalytic oxidation reactions provide a promising strategy for green synthesis of fine chemicals. However, the low photocatalytic efficiency and selectivity are the main obstacles. Herein, we report the ultrathin Bi 2 MoO 6 nanoplates with thickness of ∼17   nm which exhibit a superior performance in alcohol oxidation to corresponding aldehyde using O 2 under visible light irradiation, achieving ca. 29 times enhancement of activity compared with Bi 2 MoO 6 synthesized from traditional hydrothermal method (thickness of ∼250   nm). When Pt nanoparticles as cocatalyst are loaded on the surface of the ultrathin Bi 2 MoO 6 nanoplates, the photocatalytic performance is further enhanced. The remarkable enhancement of activity is attributed to the ultrathin 2D geometry of Bi 2 MoO 6 nanoplates, promoting the charge-separation efficiency and affording abundant catalytically active sites. The excellent selectivity of photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol on the ultrathin Bi 2 MoO 6 is attributed to the different adsorption behaviors of benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde. This study could also provide an efficient strategy for improving the photocatalytic performance by rational fabrication of two-dimensional semiconductor materials for organic synthesis.