Ag-modified ultrathin Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 nanosheets: photo-assisted Ag exfoliation synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic performance

Ultrathin Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 nanosheets, with the thickness of 3–4 nm, were prepared by the photo-assisted Ag exfoliation method. This method not only achieves the thickness regulation, but also introduces elemental silver on the surfaces of ultrathin Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 nanosheets. The obtained ultrathin Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 nanosheets modified with Ag show enhanced visible light absorption, improved carrier generation and separation efficiency under visible light irradiation. Their photocatalytic performance for rhodamine B (RhB) degradation is 5 times higher than that of bulk Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 . It is expected that the present synthetic strategy may provide a new design concept for the fabrication of ultrathin structures.