Two‐Dimensional Layered Zinc Silicate Nanosheets with Excellent Photocatalytic Performance for Organic Pollutant Degradation and CO₂ Conversion

Abstract

Two‐dimensional (2D) photocatalysts are highly attractive for their great potential in environmental remediation and energy conversion. Herein, we report a novel layered zinc silicate (LZS) photocatalyst synthesized by a liquid‐phase epitaxial growth route using silica derived from vermiculite, a layered silicate clay mineral, as both the lattice‐matched substrate and Si source. The epitaxial growth of LZS is limited in the 2D directions, thus generating the vermiculite‐type crystal structure and ultrathin nanosheet morphology with thicknesses of 8–15 nm and a lateral size of about 200 nm. Experimental observations and DFT calculations indicated that LZS has a superior band alignment for the degradation of organic pollutants and reduction of CO₂ to CO. The material exhibited efficient photocatalytic performance for 4‐chlorophenol (4‐CP) degradation and CO₂ conversion into CO and is the first example of a claylike 2D photocatalyst with strong photooxidation and photoreduction capabilities.