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Atri S, Loni E, Zazimal F, Hensel K, Caplovicova M, Plesch G, Lu X, Nagarajan R, Naguib M, Monfort O. MXene-Derived Oxide Nanoheterostructures for Photocatalytic Sulfamethoxazole Degradation. ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS 2024; 7:16506-16515. [PMID: 39086512 PMCID: PMC11287779 DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.4c02523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Herein, we report for the first time the use of ternary oxide nanoheterostructure photocatalysts derived from (Nb y , Ti1-y )2CT x MXene in the treatment of water. Three different compositions of binary MXenes, viz., (Ti0.75Nb0.25)2CT x , (Ti0.5Nb0.5)2CT x , and (Ti0.25Nb0.75)2CT x (with T x = OH, F, and Cl), were used as single-source precursor to produce TiNbO x -3:1, TiNbO x -1:1, and TiNbO x -1:3 by controlled-atmosphere thermal oxidation. Phase identification and Le Bail refinements confirmed the presence of a mixture of rutile TiO2 and monoclinic Ti2Nb10O29. Morphological investigations through scanning and transmission electron microscopies revealed the retention of layered nanostructures from the MXene precursors and the fusion of TiO2 and Ti2Nb10O29 nanoparticles in forming nanosheets. Among the three oxide nanoheterostructures, TiNbO x -3:1 exhibited the best photocatalytic performance by the removal of 83% of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) after 2 h of reaction. Such a result is explained by a complex influence of structural, morphological, and electronic properties since TiNbO x -3:1 consisted of small-sized crystallites (40-70 nm) and possessed a higher surface area. The suggested electronic band structure is a type-II heterojunction, where the recombination of electrons and holes is minimized during photocatalytic reactions. The photocatalytic degradation of SMX was promoted by the attack of •OH, as evidenced by the detection of 2.2 μM •OH, using coumarin as a probe. This study highlights the potential application of MXene-derived oxide nanoheterostructures in wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalu Atri
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 6, Mlynska dolina, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department
of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane
University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Elham Loni
- Department
of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane
University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Frantisek Zazimal
- Department
of Plasma Physics and Technology, Faculty of Science Masaryk University, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 267/2, 611 37 Brno, Czechia
| | - Karol Hensel
- Division
of Environmental Physics, Faculty of Mathematics Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, Mlynska dolina, 84248 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Maria Caplovicova
- STU
Center for Nanodiagnostics, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology
in Trnava, Slovak Technical University, Vazovova 5, 81243 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Gustav Plesch
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 6, Mlynska dolina, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Xin Lu
- Department
of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane
University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Rajamani Nagarajan
- Materials
Chemistry Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Michael Naguib
- Department
of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane
University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Olivier Monfort
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 6, Mlynska dolina, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia
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