AUTHOR=Li Dongsheng , Zhu Bichen , Sun Zhongti , Liu Qinqin , Wang Lele , Tang Hua 

TITLE=Construction of UiO-66/Bi4O5Br2 Type-II Heterojunction to Boost Charge Transfer for Promoting Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction Performance

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2021.804204

DOI=10.3389/fchem.2021.804204

ISSN=2296-2646

ABSTRACT=<p>One of the basic challenges of CO<sub>2</sub> photoreduction is to develop efficient photocatalysts, and the construction of heterostructure photocatalysts with intimate interfaces is an effective strategy to enhance interfacial charge transfer for realizing high photocatalytic activity. Herein, a novel UiO-66/Bi<sub>4</sub>O<sub>5</sub>Br<sub>2</sub> heterostructure photocatalyst was constructed by depositing UiO-66 nanoparticles with octahedral morphology over the Bi<sub>4</sub>O<sub>5</sub>Br<sub>2</sub> nanoflowers assembled from the Bi<sub>4</sub>O<sub>5</sub>Br<sub>2</sub> nanosheets <italic>via</italic> an electrostatic self-assembly method. A tight contact interface and a built-in electric field were formed between the UiO-66 and the Bi<sub>4</sub>O<sub>5</sub>Br<sub>2</sub>, which was conducive to the photo-electrons transfer from the Bi<sub>4</sub>O<sub>5</sub>Br<sub>2</sub> to the UiO-66 and the formation of a type-II heterojunction with highly efficient charge separation. As a result, the UiO-66/Bi<sub>4</sub>O<sub>5</sub>Br<sub>2</sub> exhibited improved photocatalytic CO<sub>2</sub> reduction performance with a CO generation rate of 8.35 μmol h<sup>−1</sup> g<sup>−1</sup> without using any sacrificial agents or noble co-catalysts. This work illustrates an applicable tactic to develop potent photocatalysts for clean energy conversion.</p>