Bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl), a promising V-VI-VII layered ternary semiconductor, has been widely studied in environmental and energy conversion applications . It is a layered structure with [Bi2O2] 2+ slabs interleaved by a double layer of Cl -ions. Compared to other metaloxide semiconductors, this unique layered structure produces a built-in electric field and facilitates the separation of photo-generated charge carriers . However, the large bandgap eV) in the UV range and low quantum efficiency of bulk BiOCl photocatalysts have seriously hampered their photocatalytic application .