Oxygen-vacancy Ce-MoO3 nanosheets loaded Pt nanoparticles for super-efficient photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of methanol

MoO 3 with Pt-like d-band center electronic structure is an ideal catalyst carrier, but its low conductivity, wide-bandgap and poor photoresponse limits the application of photoelectrocatalysis. Designing doping and oxygen vacancies simultaneously in MoO 3 is a candidate strategy to address some challenges. Herein, a 2D oxygen-vacancies Ce-MoO 3 /Pt (OVs-Ce-MoO 3 /Pt) nanosheet is developed using a two-step method of hydrothermal and chemical reduction. The band gap, optical properties, and methanol adsorption capacity of MoO 3 are well regulated after Ce doping and oxygen vacancy introduction. Profiting by the synergistic promotion of sufficient oxygen vacancies and Ce element, the OVs-Ce-MoO 3 /Pt catalyst exhibits super-efficient photoelectrocatalytic activity (2858 mA mg −1 ) and poisoning-tolerance ability towards methanol oxidation, which is superior to the Ovs-MoO 3 /Pt catalyst (1542 mA mg −1 ) and commercial JM Pt/C catalyst (377 mA mg −1 ). These results indicate that the OVs-Ce-MoO 3 /Pt catalyst can serve as a highly promising catalyst in the field of photoelectrocatalysis.