Enhanced Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and Pollutant Adsorption in Advanced Oxidation Processes via Ru Cluster-Oxygen Vacancy Synergy on BiOCl (111) Facet

Abstract

The persistence of antibiotics, particularly tetracycline (TC), in aquatic environments poses significant ecological and public health risks. Semiconductor photocatalysis represents a promising solution, yet conventional catalysts often suffer from rapid charge recombination and limited visible-light response. Herein, we report a facet-engineered BiOCl-Ru photocatalyst where ruthenium (Ru) clusters (~0.91 nm) are selectively anchored onto the (110) facet of BiOCl nanoplates via photodeposition, creating a unique single-facet cocatalyst system. Combined experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that this configuration, synergizing with oxygen vacancies (OVs), not only broadens light absorption as well as enhances charge separation and localized surface plasmon resonance, but also significantly strengthens the adsorption of O2, H2O, and TC molecules. As a result, the optimized BiOCl-Ru catalyst achieves a remarkable TC degradation efficiency of 90.2% within 75 min under light irradiation, substantially outperforming the pristine BiOCl. This work provides a strategic design of high-performance photocatalytic systems through precise facet-specific modification and defect engineering for environmental remediation.