Carbon quantum dots-modified Z-scheme BiOCl/NiAl-LDH for significantly boosting photocatalytic CO reduction.

Photocatalytic reduction of CO to high-energy products is an effective way to utilize solar energy and mitigate the greenhouse effect. In this paper, a series of CQDs/BiOCl/NiAl-LDH (C/BOC/LDH) photocatalysts were prepared via a one-pot hydrothermal method, demonstrated excellent photocatalytic CO reduction performance. In the case of only water without any photosensitizer and sacrificial agent, the CO production rate on C/0.3BOC/LDH reached 16.4 μmol·gh, which is 6.7 times higher than that of the original LDH. The construction of Z-scheme heterojunctions inhibited the recombination of electrons with holes. The unique up-conversion PL behavior of CQDs benefitted the absorption of energy in the NIR by the photocatalyst. This study provides meaningful assistance for the design and construction of a ternary photocatalytic system with Z-scheme heterojunction and carbon-based co-catalyst.