An effective strategy to achieve high photocatalytic activity of a hierarchical ZnO/BiOI structure

Rational design of superior performance photocatalysts with highly dispersed nanoparticles combined with mixed-dimensional structures has been a great promise and challenge in the field of photocatalysis. Herein, a kind of hierarchical mixed-dimensional heterojunction photocatalyst assembling one-dimensional (1D) Zinc oxide (ZnO) and two-dimensional (2D) Bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) was synthesized via a simple one-step hydrothermal method without using additional additives. The mixed dimensional nanostructure and chemical state were confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Highly dispersion and strong bonding between 1D ZnO and 2D BiOI are linked together to form a cactus-like heterojunction. The cactus-like hierarchical with 1D nanorods forest sitting on the surface and inter-plate space of 2D nanoplates could improve absorption efficiency. The p-n heterojunction results in effective separation and transference of the photogenerated carriers and significant enhancement of the photocatalytic efficiency. Graphical abstract