Hybridization of CuO with Bi2MoO6 nanosheets as a surface multifunctional photocatalyst for toluene oxidation under solar irradiation.

Herein, CuO/Bi2MoO6 hybrid nanosheets were prepared as a surface-multifunctional photocatalyst for gas-phase toluene oxidation with high conversion (>99%). Aberration-corrected STEM suggested that CuO species were highly dispersed on the nanosheets. XAFS spectra indicated that the distorted and stretched Cu-O coordination structures in CuO/Bi2MoO6 nanosheets would provide open active sites. In-situ FTIR and DFT results showed that toluene molecules could be chemisorbed and activated on the active sites of CuO/Bi2MoO6 nanosheets by C-H group forming CuO/Bi2MoO6···Ph-CH3 surface complex compounds. These would induce electron-hole transfer and initiate photocatalytic reactions under visible light irradiation. The corresponding intermediates of benzaldehyde and benzoic acid would be detected by in-situ DRIFTS. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of CuO and Bi2MoO6 nanosheets could monitor charge dynamics to facilitate their respective transmission from photoexcitation sites to active centers. This work provides new insights into the essence of visible-light-driven surface photocatalysis and is expected to promote the design of novel and more effective photocatalysts at the molecular level.