Full-spectrum-responsive 1D/2D BiVO4:Er3+,Yb3+/BiOCl core-shell S-scheme heterostructure with boosted charge transport and redox capacity for the efficient removal of organic pollutants

Abstract

Enhancing photogenerated carrier separation and broadening the spectral response range are key factors in obtaining effective photocatalysts for organic pollutant degradation. Based on morphology control and reasonable structure design, herein, a novel S-scheme heterojunction of BiVO4:Er3+,Yb3+/BiOCl with a one-dimensional/two-dimensional (1D/2D) core-shell structure is constructed by electrospinning combined with a solvothermal method. Consequently, BiVO4:Er3+,Yb3+/BiOCl composite nanobelts degraded 97.9% and 66.1% methylene blue (MB), 88.8% and 68.8% tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and 80.8% and 22.2% bisphenol A (BPA) driven by simulated sunlight and NIR light, respectively. The superior catalytic performance can be attributed to the synergism between upconversion (UC) fluorescence, the unique core-shell nanobelt-shaped structure and the S-scheme heterostructure, which enables the strong interface interaction between components to effectively expand the spectral absorption range, enhance the separation and utilization efficiency of photoinduced carriers, and endow the carriers with stronger redox ability. This work can provide a new idea for the design of a 1D/2D S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst with a full-spectrum response for water purification.