Optical and photocatalytic properties of S doped BiOCl nanosheets with tunable exposed {0 0 1} facets and band gap

•S-doped BiOCl nanosheets were synthesized via a facial hydrothermal reaction with the assistance of thioacetamide.•Thioacetamide served as an S donor and played a vital role in regulating the growth of the (001) plane of BiOCl.•S-doped BiOCl with Bi/S molar ratio 100:3 exhibited the highest photodegradation efficiency.•The improved photocatalytic efficiency could be explained by the synergistic effect of enhanced exposure ratio of the {001} facets and reduced band gap.