Engineering\nAg-Modified BiOCl as an Efficient and\nEffective Catalyst for Solar Light-Driven Organic Pollutant Degradation\nand Hydrogen Production

The direct conversion of solar energy into clean fuels\nhas emerged\nas an effective approach for future energy production and addressing\nenvironmental challenges. This research focuses on the synthesis of\nBiOCl using a straightforward hydrothermal method with Ag modification\nachieved through green synthesis. These materials were applied to\nenhance photocatalytic processes and hydrogen (H<sub>2</sub>) evolution.\nComprehensive characterization of the synthesized photocatalysts was\nperformed by using techniques, such as XRD, SEM, BET, XPS, and UV–vis\nspectroscopy. The Ag/BiOCl composite demonstrated impressive photocatalytic\nperformance, achieving degradation rates of 96% for RhB, 87.7% for\nTC, and 85% for HQ under 18 min of solar irradiation. Additionally,\na high mineralization rate of 92% was observed through Total Organic\nCarbon (TOC) analysis. Furthermore, the Ag/BiOCl composite exhibited\na significant H<sub>2</sub> evolution rate of 565 μmol g<sup>–1</sup> h<sup>–1</sup>, which is nearly double that\nof pure BiOCl. The interaction between Ag and BiOCl was found to enhance\nthe generation of O<sub>2</sub>– radicals, as confirmed by\nradical trapping experiments, with the underlying mechanism elucidated\nusing LC-HRMS. The nanoparticles also demonstrated excellent degradation\nof industrial waste, highlighting the potential of Ag/BiOCl for use\nin the purification and sterilization of industrial effluents.