This is the first report on the photoassisted catalytic degradation of organic pollutants viz., methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B and malachite green, by iron oxychloride (FeOCl) sans any added oxidants. Under direct solar irradiation, 87% of MB degrades in 30 minutes, catalysed by FeOCl nanofibers due to photoassisted self-Fenton-like (PSFL) activity. PSFL activity is observed in FeOCl, without any second component such as carbon dots and without the external addition of Fe2+ ions. The reaction follows pseudo-second order kinetics with a rate constant of (10.9 ± 0.4) x 10-2 min-1. Detailed studies on the catalytic mechanism were carried out by employing radical scavengers. The •OH radicals are identified to be directly degrading the dye molecules. The valence and conduction band edges are estimated to be at +1.3 and -1.1 V vs NHE, respectively, which are suitable to enable the in-situ generation of H2O2 via oxygen reduction reaction. Detailed analysis of the catalyst after use provides insights on how the alteration of structure affects the catalytic properties. The structure-property correlation and the crucial role of oxygen vacancies as adsorption sites for oxygen as well as active sites for the in-situ generation of H2O2 are discussed in detail.

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