Rhodamine B-sensitized BiOCl hierarchical nanostructure for methyl orange photodegradation

Loose-packed flower-like BiOCl hierarchical nanostructures (HNs) assembled by thin nanosheets were successfully synthesized via a facile solvothermal method. Based on the matchability analysis of band structure of BiOCl and the molecular orbitals of the dyes, the RhB dye-sensitized heterogeneous BiOCl HNs system was established for MO degradation under visible light irradiation. The mechanism of MO degradation over RhB-sensitized BiOCl was also discussed according to the photocurrent and photoluminescence results. It was found that MO degradation efficiency over RhB-sensitized BiOCl HNs was obviously improved due to the generation of superoxide radicals (˙O2−) through the reduction of surface-adsorbed O2 molecules by the injected electrons on the conduction band of BiOCl HNs from the excited RhB molecules. This work may provide insight on better understanding the organic dye photodegradation process in RhB dye-sensitized BiOCl heterogeneous systems and explore a dye-sensitized semiconductor photocatalyst strategy for environmental remediation.