Vanadate-Rich BiOBr/Bi Nanosheets for Effective Adsorption and Visible-Light-Driven Photodegradation of Rhodamine B

Two-dimensional (2D) BiOBr nanosheets (NSs) have attracted considerable interest as photocatalysts. The surface active sites of BiOBr NSs are crucial in determining the photocatalytic performance of these materials under visible light. The modification of the surface state of BiOBr NSs with multiple charged groups has been scarcely studied as a way to increase the number of surface active sites and the corresponding photocatalytic activity. Herein, vanadate-rich 2D BiOBr/Bi NSs were in-situ fabricated without adding strong reductants and subsequently used for visible-light-driven photocatalysis. Even under reductant-free condition, we were able to simultaneously deposit Bi⁰ and vanadate groups on the surface of pristine BiOBr NSs. The corresponding formation mechanism was also explored in a subsequent step. Compared to pristine BiOBr NSs and BiOBr/Bi NSs, the vanadate-rich BiOBr/Bi NSs prepared herein exhibited superior adsorption and enhanced photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light illumination.