Exciton-free, nonsensitized degradation of 2-naphthol by facet-dependent BiOCl under visible light: novel evidence of surface-state photocatalysis

Copper-doped bismuth oxychloride nanosheets assembled into sphere-like morphology for improved photocatalytic inactivation of drug-resistant bacteria

The devastating microbiological contamination as well as emerging drug-resistant bacteria has posed severe threats to the ecosystem and public health, which propels the continuous exploitation of safe yet efficient disinfection products and technology. Here, copper doping engineered bismuth oxychloride (Cu-BiOCl) nanocomposite with a hierarchical spherical structure was successfully prepared. It was found that due to the exposure of abundant active sites for the adsorption of both bacteria cells and molecular oxygen in the structure, the obtained Cu-BiOCl with nanosheets assembled into sphere-like morphology exhibited remarkable photocatalytic antibacterial effects. In particular, compared to the pure BiOCl, composite Cu-BiOCl possessed improved antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The combination of physicochemical characterizations and theoretical calculations has revealed that copper doping significantly promoted the light absorbance, inhibited the recombination of electron-hole pairs, and enhanced molecular oxygen adsorption, which resulted in more generation of active species including reactive oxygen species (ROS) and h+ to achieve superior photocatalytic bacterial inactivation. Finally, transcriptome analysis on MRSA pinpointed photocatalytic inactivation induced by Cu-BiOCl may retard largely the development of drug-resistance. Therefore, the built spherical Cu-BiOCl nanocomposite has provided an ecofriendly, economical and robust strategy for the efficient removal of drug-resistant bacteria with promising potentials for environmental and healthcare utilizations.

Crystal facet and Na-doping dual engineering ultrathin BiOCl nanosheets with efficient oxygen activation for enhanced photocatalytic performance

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) based on semiconductors offers a sustainable and promising way for environmental remediation. However, the photocatalytic performance currently suffers from weak light-harvesting ability, rapid charge combination and a lack of accessible reactive sites. Ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) materials are ideal candidates to overcome these problems and become hotpots in the research fields. Herein, we demonstrate an ultrathin (<4 nm thick) Na-doped BiOCl nanosheets with {001} facets (Na-BOC-001) fabricated via a facile bottom-up approach. Because of the synergistic effect of highly exposed active facets and optimal Na doping on the electronic and crystal structure, the Na-BOC-001 showed an upshifted conduction band (CB) with stronger reduction potential for O₂ activation, more defective surface for enhanced O₂ adsorption, as well as the highest visible-light driven charge separation and transfer ability. Compared with the bulk counterparts (BOC-010 and BOC-001), the largest amount of active species and the best photocatalytic performance for the tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) degradation were achieved for the Na-BOC-001 under visible-light irradiation, even though it had slightly weaker visible-light absorption ability. Moreover, the effect of the Na doping and crystal facet on the possible pathways for TC degradation was investigated. This work offers a feasible and economic strategy for the construction of highly efficient ultrathin 2D materials.

Adsorption of BiOBr microspheres to rhodamine B and its influence on photocatalytic reaction

Adsorption and its influence are often neglected during photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. To call attention to these issues, a novel bismuth oxybromide (BiOBr) microsphere with hierarchical flower-like structure was fabricated through a facile hydrothermal process using polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as additive in this work, and then the adsorption of the BiOBr microspheres to RhB and its influence on the photocatalytic degradation of RhB were investigated in detail. Experimental results show that the BiOBr microspheres have a very strong adsorption capacity to RhB. The adsorption behavior follows the Langmuir model and the quasi second order kinetic equation. Tests of the photocatalytic degradation of RhB under visible irradiation verify that the adsorption of the BiOBr microspheres to RhB greatly boosts the degradation of RhB due to the "enriching effect", and a complete degradation of 20 mg L^-1 RhB only requires 37 min.

The enhanced photocatalytic properties of Bi/BiOCl composites for H2O2 production

Efficient production of H2O2via metal Bi and defect co-modified BiOCl.

Oxygen-vacancy-rich BiOCl materials with ultrahigh photocatalytic efficiency by etching bismuth glass

Bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) is a promising photocatalyst material for water purification to remove organic pollutants. However, BiOCl materials can only degrade pollutants under ultraviolet-light owing to their wide band gap. Herein, we propose a simple synthesis route based on Bi₂O₃–B₂O₃–ZnO–SrO–Na₂O (BBZSN) glass to fabricate 3D hierarchical-structured BiOCl materials with rich oxygen vacancies (OVs), which were introduced from BBZSN glass and inhibited the recombination of electron–hole pairs and adjusted the band structure. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained 3D hierarchical-structured BiOCl photocatalyst was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under ultraviolet light and visible light. The experimental results suggested that the as-fabricated flower-shape BiOCl–NaCl could effectively degrade RhB under ultraviolet light (92.7%/20 min) or visible light (71.4%/20 min, 92.8%/100 min) respectively, which indicates its potential to be applied in environmental remediation.

(a) EPR spectra of (a) the as-prepared BiOCl samples under dark, (b) BBZSN and Intermediate Bi₂O(OH)₂SO₄ under dark, (c) BiOCl–NaCl under dark and ultraviolet light and (d) the as-prepared BiOCl samples under ultraviolet light.

Highly Dispersed Pt Nanoparticle-Doped Mesoporous ZnO Photocatalysts for Promoting Photoconversion of CO2 to Methanol

Photoreduction of CO₂ is considered a challenge due to the lack of effective photocatalysts with wide-spectrum absorption, active charge separation dynamically, and CO₂ adsorption. Herein, mesoporous Pt/ZnO nanocomposites with different Pt percentages (0.5-2%) have been fabricated using the sol-gel process in the presence of a template for CO₂ photoreduction during visible-light exposure. Pt nanoparticles (NPs) deposited onto mesoporous ZnO with a considerable surface area can effectively promote charge mobility. The mesoporous 1.5% Pt/ZnO nanocomposite exhibits an optimal CH₃OH yield (668 μmol g^-1), which is 18.5-fold larger than that of mesoporous ZnO (36 μmol g^-1). The most photoactive material was the 1.5% Pt/ZnO nanocomposite, producing CH₃OH of 668 μmol g^-1, and the production rate of CH₃OH over the 1.5% Pt/ZnO nanocomposite (74.11 μmol g^-1 h^-1) was increased 20 times in comparison with ZnO NPs (3.72 μmol g^-1 h^-1). The enhancement of CO₂ photoreduction efficiency over Pt/ZnO nanocomposites was attributed to the formation of the heterojunction at the Pt/ZnO interface, promoting a lower resistance to charge transfer and a larger electron transfer to the conduction band. Mesoporous Pt/ZnO nanocomposites offer enhanced accessibility and a larger surface area. Such an unparalleled mesostructure provides a new framework for the construction and design of photoactive materials with high-efficiency photocatalysts.

Different degradation mechanisms of carbamazepine and diclofenac by single-atom Barium embedded g-C3N4: the role of photosensitation-like mechanism

This study reports the different degradation mechanisms of carbamazepine (CBZ) and diclofenac (DCF) by single-atom Barium (Ba) embedded g-C₃N₄. Single-atom Ba is anchored onto g-C₃N₄ by forming ionic bond with triazine ring, thus greatly enhances the photocatalytic activity with an atom ratio of 1.78%. CBZ undergoes a typical photocatalysis mechanism, while DCF is degraded via a photosensitization-like process, which does not need band gap excitation of photocatalyst. By means of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculation, the selectivity is found to be related with the different valence excitation modes of CBZ and DCF. Specifically, CBZ undergoes a local excitation, which does not obviously affect molecular configuration. In contrast, DCF undergoes a charge transfer excitation, which significantly changes the reactive sites distribution and facilitates photosensitization-like degradation. Due to the different degradation mechanism, the effects of pH, co-existed anions, and water matrix are also different. Since photosensitization-like mechanism does not rely on photo-generated holes mediated oxidation, the degradation efficient of DCF shows higher anti-interference capacity in real water.

Insight into facet-dependent photocatalytic H2O2 production on BiOCl nanosheets

The generation of H₂O₂ on BiOCl(001) originates from O₂ reduction, while there are two pathways on BiOCl(010).

Promoted Photocharge Separation in 2D Lateral Epitaxial Heterostructure for Visible-Light-Driven CO2 Photoreduction

Photocarrier recombination remains a big barrier for the improvement of solar energy conversion efficiency. For 2D materials, construction of heterostructures represents an efficient strategy to promote photoexcited carrier separation via an internal electric field at the heterointerface. However, due to the difficulty in seeking two components with suitable crystal lattice mismatch, most of the current 2D heterostructures are vertical heterostructures and the exploration of 2D lateral heterostructures is scarce and limited. Here, lateral epitaxial heterostructures of BiOCl @ Bi₂ O₃ at the atomic level are fabricated via sonicating-assisted etching of Cl in BiOCl. This unique lateral heterostructure expedites photoexcited charge separation and transportation through the internal electric field induced by chemical bonding at the lateral interface. As a result, the lateral BiOCl @ Bi₂ O₃ heterostructure demonstrates superior CO₂ photoreduction properties with a CO yield rate of about 30 µmol g^-1 h^-1 under visible light illumination. The strategy to fabricate lateral epitaxial heterostructures in this work is expected to provide inspiration for preparing other 2D lateral heterostructures used in optoelectronic devices, energy conversion, and storage fields.

Electronic Structures and Lattice Dynamics of Layered BiOCl Single Crystals

BiOCl has recently elicited intense interest for its excellent photochemical catalysis, energy conversion, and photodetection performance. In this Letter, we systematically investigate BiOCl electronic properties, lattice dynamics, and structural stability. From first-principles calculations, bulk and monolayer BiOCl have ultraviolet indirect band gaps around 3.6 eV, consistent with reflection spectroscopy measurements. The large spin-orbit coupling effect of the Bi atom makes the lowest conduction band near the Z point in the Brillouin region move down 230 meV. However, because of the symmetrical crystal potential, BiOCl has no strong Rashba effect. We further observed all 6 BiOCl Raman-active modes with the lowest-frequency rigid layer in-plane vibrational mode at 63 cm^-1, consistent with our calculations. Up to 500 K or down to monolayer thickness, the crystal structure of BiOCl remains stable. Our work provides detailed information on BiOCl electronic and vibrational properties and stability up to high temperature or down to monolayer, identifying it as a promising layered material for further nano-optoelectronic applications.

In situ formation of defect-engineered N-doped TiO2 porous mesocrystals for enhanced photo-degradation and PEC performance

N-Doped oxygen defective N/TiO_2-x mesocrystal nanocubes were successfully prepared by a facile strategy in our system. Crystal topotactic transformation from NH₄TiOF₃ mesocrystals facilitated the formation of a porous structure of TiO₂. Meanwhile, the introduction of N dopants and oxygen vacancies (OVs) was also achieved during this process. The as-prepared products exhibit much higher photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photocatalytic degradation performance under visible light illumination. It is suggested that the promising catalytic properties result from the synergistic effect of doping, OVs and the amazing porous mesocrystal structure of N/TiO_2-x .

Ultrastable and Efficient Visible-Light-Driven Hydrogen Production Based on Donor-Acceptor Copolymerized Covalent Organic Polymer

Developing stable and efficient photocatalysts for H₂ production under visible light is still a big challenge. In this work, a novel covalent organic polymer (COP)-based photocatalyst with trace ending groups was prepared by the efficient irreversible kinetic coupling reaction, i.e., nickel(0)-catalyzed Yamamoto-type Ullmann cross-coupling, using pyrene as electron donor and countpart, e.g., phenanthrolene, benzene, pyrazine, as electron acceptor. The newly developed optimal photocatalyst (termed as COP-TP_3:1) has a 14-fold improvement in the H₂ evolution rate from 3 to 42 μmol h^-1 under visible light compared with the sample without donor-acceptor structure. Moreover, COP-TP_3:1 also performs excellent photocatalytic activity under different water quality (deionized water, municipal water, commercial mineral water, and simulated seawater (NaCl 3 wt %)). Significantly, ignored decrease in H₂ evolution can be observed after 20 hours cycling H₂ production, and the performance is only reduced by about 7% even after discontinuous cycles of photocatalysis and storage for a month. The donor-acceptor units with trace ending groups contribute to suppress electron-holes recombination kinetics and the N coordination sites in electron-acceptors conduce to anchor Pt (as the cocatalyst) onto the surface of photocatalyst, both of which are conducive to the outstanding photocatalytic activity and stability. Accordingly, this work can provide guidance to design a stable and efficient photocatalyst by copolymerization for visible-light-driven H₂ production.

One-step in situ synthesis of BiOCl/(BiO)2CO3 composite photocatalysts with exposed high-energy {001} facets

BiOCl/(BiO)₂CO₃ composites with reactive exposed {001} facets have been synthesized by a one-step in situ solvothermal method. The synergistic effect of type-II band alignment and exposed high-energy facets enhances photocatalytic activity.

In-depth insight into facet-dependent charge movement behaviors and photo-redox catalysis: A case of {001} and {010} facets BiOCl

A central issue in understanding photo-redox catalysis is the facet-dependent charge movement behaviors that include bulk charge separation, surface charge transfer and interfacial charge migration. To get in-depth insight into these complicated processes steered by different exposing facets, herein BiOCl with exposed (001) and (010) facets engaged as the model are investigated. The BiOCl-(010) and BiOCl-(001) single-crystalline sheets are separately synthesized via hydrothermal and hydrolysis routes. In contrast to BiOCl-(010), BiOCl-(001) demonstrates highly promoted photo-redox performance for H₂ generation and degradation of pollutants. The facet-dependent charge movement behaviors were surveyed by surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPV), transient photocurrent, linear sweep voltammetry, continuous wavelength photocurrent, and electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS). All the photoelectrochemical and photoelectric measurement results reflect that BiOCl-(001) exhibits superior charge separation and migration efficiencies in the whole charge movement process than the BiOCl-(010). Besides, a higher charge carrier density (3.1-fold enhancement) was also observed for BiOCl-(001) compared to BiOCl-(010). Our current work is expected to further our understanding on facet-dependent charge movement behaviors and offer new insight into design of high-performance photocatalytic/photoelectrochemical materials.

Oxygen Vacancy Associated Surface Fenton Chemistry: Surface Structure Dependent Hydroxyl Radicals Generation and Substrate Dependent Reactivity

Understanding the chemistry of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) decomposition and hydroxyl radical (•OH) transformation on the surface molecular level is a great challenge for the application of heterogeneous Fenton system in the fields of chemistry, environmental, and life science. We report in this study a conceptual oxygen vacancy associated surface Fenton system without any metal ions leaching, exhibiting unprecedented surface chemistry based on the oxygen vacancy of electron-donor nature for heterolytic H₂O₂ dissociation. By controlling the delicate surface structure of catalyst, this novel Fenton system allows the facile tuning of •OH existing form for targeted catalytic reactions with controlled reactivity and selectivity. On the model catalyst of BiOCl, the generated •OH tend to diffuse away from the (001) surface for the selective oxidation of dissolved pollutants in solution, but prefer to stay on the (010) surface, reacting with strongly adsorbed pollutants with high priority. These findings will extend the scope of Fenton catalysts via surface engineering and consolidate the fundamental theories of Fenton reactions for wide environmental applications.

Adsorption behavior and mechanism of ibuprofen onto BiOCl microspheres with exposed {001} facets

BiOCl microspheres with exposed {001} facets have been synthesized through a simple solvothermal method. The adsorption and photocatalytic activities of BiOCl microspheres were evaluated by removal of ibuprofen (IBP) as the model reaction. Parameters including IBP concentration, BiOCl dosage, and inorganic ions were investigated to reveal the role of adsorption in BiOCl-based photocatalysis. We found that the high IBP removal rate by BiOCl is not due to photocatalytic oxidation but to surface adsorption. The combination of ICP/MS, IC, XPS, and FT-IR results directly proved that anion exchange between dissociated IBP and Cl accompanied by the formation of surface complex (O-Bi-OOC-C₁₂H₁₇) onto the BiOCl surface is the main adsorption mechanism. In addition, we also demonstrated that organic compounds with carboxyl group (-COOH) such as diclofenac, benzoic acid, and p-phthalic acid can be adsorbed by BiOCl while organic compounds without carboxyl group such as carbamazepine, nitrobenzene, and p-chloronitrobenzene cannot be adsorbed. We believe that the BiOCl adsorption behavior and mechanism should be considered when discussing its photocatalytic mechanism.

Titania nanotube stabilized BiOCl nanoparticles in visible-light photocatalysis

Photocatalysis is a green approach in environmental organic pollutant decomposition.

Facet-Engineered Surface and Interface Design of Photocatalytic Materials

The facet-engineered surface and interface design for photocatalytic materials has been proven as a versatile approach to enhance their photocatalytic performance. This review article encompasses some recent advances in the facet engineering that has been performed to control the surface of mono-component semiconductor systems and to design the surface and interface structures of multi-component heterostructures toward photocatalytic applications. The review begins with some key points which should receive attention in the facet engineering on photocatalytic materials. We then discuss the synthetic approaches to achieve the facet control associated with the surface and interface design. In the following section, the facet-engineered surface design on mono-component photocatalytic materials is introduced, which forms a basis for the discussion on more complex systems. Subsequently, we elucidate the facet-engineered surface and interface design of multi-component photocatalytic materials. Finally, the existing challenges and future prospects are discussed.

Bi(iii) immobilization inside MIL-101: enhanced photocatalytic performance

Bi(iii) particles were immobilized into the cages of mesoporous chromium oxoterephthalate MIL-101. The material obtained possesses enhanced photocatalytic activity in comparison with bulk BiOCl synthesized under the same conditions.

Facet-Dependent Photocatalytic N2 Fixation of Bismuth-Rich Bi5O7I Nanosheets

Bismuth-rich bismuth oxyhalides (Bi-O-X; X = Cl, Br, I) display high photocatalytic reduction activity due to the promoting conduction band potential. In this work, two Bi₅O₇I nanosheets with different dominant facets were synthesized using either molecular precursor hydrolysis or calcination. Crystal structure characterizations, included X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), field emission electron microscopy and fast Fourier transformation (FFT) images, showed that hydrolysis and calcination resulted in the dominant exposure of {100} and {001} facets, respectively. Photocatalytic data revealed that Bi₅O₇I-001 had a higher activity than Bi₅O₇I-100 for N₂ fixation and dye degradation. Photoelectrochemical data revealed that Bi₅O₇I-001 had higher photoinduced carrier separation efficiency than Bi₅O₇I-100. The band structure analysis also used to explain the underlying photocatalytic mechanism based on the different conduction band position. This work presents the first report about the facet-dependent photocatalytic performance of bismuth-rich Bi-O-X photocatalysts.

Fabrication of 2D sheet-like BiOCl/carbon quantum dot hybrids via a template-free coprecipitation method and their tunable visible-light photocatalytic activities derived from different size distributions of carbon quantum dots

A series of two-dimensional (2D) interlaced BiOCl/carbon quantum dot composites (denoted as BiOCl/CQD composites) were synthesized by a template-free coprecipitation method at room temperature, and the influence of different particle size distributions of the CQDs on the physiochemical properties and photocatalytic activities of the BiOCl/CQD composites was studied. CQDs can change the morphology and increase the specific surface area of the BiOCl/CQD composites. Moreover, the particle size distribution of the CQDs (CQD loading amount) has some effect on the light absorption, separation of photogenerated charge carriers, and photocatalytic performance of  the BiOCl/CQD composites. The optimized size distribution of the CQDs is 50-150 nm. BiOCl/CQD (50-150 nm) composites showed the best improvement of light absorption and the highest photocurrent density of 0.44 μA cm(-2), and exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity with almost 100% 2-nitrophenol removal under visible-light irradiation. The high efficacy of BiOCl/CQD (50-150 nm) composites could be attributed to their excellent light absorption and highly effective separation of photogenerated charge carriers.

Highly exposed surface area of {001} facets dominated BiOBr nanosheets with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

The enhanced photocatalytic activity of BiOBr nanosheets depends on the large exposed surface areas of {001} facets (S_{001}).

Exploring the effects of nanocrystal facet orientations in g-C₃N₄/BiOCl heterostructures on photocatalytic performance

Effective separation and migration of photogenerated electron-hole pairs are two key factors to determine the performance of photocatalysts. It has been widely accepted that photocatalysts with heterojunctions usually exhibit excellent charge separation. However, the migration process of separated charges in the heterojunction structures has not been fully investigated. Herein, photocatalysts with heterojunctions are constructed by loading g-C3N4 nanoparticles onto BiOCl nanosheets with different exposed facets (BOC-001 and BOC-010). The g-C3N4 nanoparticles with decreasing size and increasing zeta potential could induce stronger coupling and scattering in the heterojunction. The relationship between the crystal facet orientation in the BiOCl nanosheets and charge separation/effective migration behaviours of the materials is investigated. The visible light photocatalytic activity of the composites is evaluated by methyl orange (MO) and phenol degradation experiments, and the results show that ng-CN/BOC-010 composites exhibit higher photocatalytic performance than that of ng-CN/BOC-001 composites. Both photoelectrochemical and fluorescence emission measurements indicate that the different exposed facets in ng-CN/BiOCl composites could induce the migration of the photogenerated electrons in different ways, but do not significantly alter the separation efficiencies. The separated electrons in ng-CN/BOC-010 undergo a shorter transport distance than that of ng-CN/BOC-001 to reach the surface reactive sites. The study may suggest that the crystal facet orientation in polar semiconductors is a critical factor for designing highly efficient heterojunction photocatalysts.

Improved photocatalytic performance of self-assembled Bi/BiOBr square microflowers with square nanopetals

The Bi/BiOBr square microflowers were successfully constructed by a simple route. The microflowers exhibited high photodecomposition efficiency for rhodamine B. We believe this study represents an important advance regarding Bi-based materials.

Thickness-tunable solvothermal synthesis of BiOCl nanosheets and their photosensitization catalytic performance

BiOCl nanosheets with different thickness have been successfully synthesized via a solvothermal process with the mediation of metal ions (Fe³⁺, Co²⁺ and Na⁺) and exhibited thickness-dependent photosensitization activity for RhB degradation.

Synthesis of rattle-type magnetic mesoporous Fe3O4@mSiO2@BiOBr hierarchical photocatalyst and investigation of its photoactivity in the degradation of methylene blue

The rattle-type Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂@BiOBr photocatalyst, which is a superior alternative visible-light-driven photocatalyst, was successfully synthesized.

Reduced graphene oxide coupled CdS/CoFe2O4 ternary nanohybrid with enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability: a potential role of reduced graphene oxide as a visible light responsive photosensitizer

We report the coupling of a CdS/CoFe₂O₄ core/shell nanorod heterostructure onto 2D platform of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets in which a role of RGO as a visible light responsive photosensitizer is shown for enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Oxygen vacancy induced bismuth oxyiodide with remarkably increased visible-light absorption and superior photocatalytic performance

With the increasingly serious environmental problems, photocatalysis has recently attracted a great deal of attention, with particular focus on water and air purification and disinfection. Herein, we show an electroreduction strategy to improve significantly the solar absorption and donor density of BiOI nanosheet photocatalyst by introducing oxygen vacancies. These oxygen-deficient BiOI nanosheets exhibit an unexpected red shift of about 100 nm in light absorption band and 1 order of magnitude improvement in donor density compared to the untreated BiOI nanosheets and show 10 times higher photocatalytic activity than the untreated BiOI nanosheets for methyl orange (MO) degradation under visible light irradiation. Moreover, the as-prepared oxygen-deficient BiOI nanosheets also have excellent cycling stability and superior photocatalytic performance toward other dye pollutants.

Synthesis of a highly efficient BiOCl single-crystal nanodisk photocatalyst with exposing {001} facets

BiOCl is known as a highly efficient photocatalyst for degradation of pollutants. However, effective methods for fabricating BiOCl nanomaterials with well-defined facets are still lacking. In this work, a facile synthetic method was developed for the fabrication of BiOCl nanodisks with exposed {001} facets. The central feature of this approach was the use of water as the hydrolysis agent and ethylene glycol as the crystal growth inhibitor agent to tune the growth of BiOCl nanomaterial. With this approach, the size and shape of BiOCl nanostructures could be effectively tuned through adjusting the volume ratio of ethylene glycol/H2O. In addition, the mechanism of the crystal growth in this fabrication process was elucidated. The as-prepared BiOCl nanodisks with exposed {001} facets exhibited an excellent photocatalytic activity towards Rhodamine B degradation under both ultraviolet and visible light irradiations. These findings shed light on the deep understanding of formation mechanisms of BiOCl nanodisks and provide an efficient and facile method for the synthesis of high active photocatalyst.