Ag-modified ultrathin Bi12O17Cl2 nanosheets: photo-assisted Ag exfoliation synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic performance

Ultrathin Bi12O17Cl2 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 Bi12O17Cl2 nanosheets. The obtained ultrathin Bi12O17Cl2 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 Bi12O17Cl2. It is expected that the present synthetic strategy may provide a new design concept for the fabrication of ultrathin structures.