In-situ formation of SrTiO3/Ti3C2 MXene Schottky heterojunction for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Charge self-regulation over in-plane two-dimensional/two-dimensional hetero-cocatalyst for robust photocatalytic hydrogen generation

The rationally designing and constructing atomic-level heterointerface of two-dimensional (2D) chalcogenides is highly desirable to overcome the sluggish H2O-activation process toward efficient solar-driven hydrogen evolution. Herein, a novel in-plane 2D/2D molybdenum disulfide-rhenium disulfide (ReS2-MoS2) heterostructure is well-designed to induce the charge self-regulation of active site by forming electron-enriched Re(4-δ)+ and electron-deficient S(2-δ)- sites, thus collectively facilitating the activation of adsorbed H2O molecules and its subsequent H2 evolution. Furthermore, the obtained in-plane heterogenous ReS2-MoS2 nanosheet can powerfully transfer photoexcited electrons to inhibit photocarrier recombination as observed by advanced Kelvin probe measurement (KPFM), in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (fs-TAS). As expected, the obtained ReS2-MoS2/TiO2 photocatalyst achieves an outperformed H2-generation rate of 6878.3 μmol h-1 g-1 with visualizing H2 bubbles in alkaline/neutral conditions. This work about in-plane 2D/2D heterostructure with strong free-electron interaction provides a promising strategy for designing novel and efficient catalysts for various applications.

Carbon Nanofiber Membranes Loaded with MXene@g-C3N4: Preparation and Photocatalytic Property

In this study, a Ti3C2 MXene@g-C3N4 composite powder (TM-CN) was prepared by the ultrasonic self-assembly method and then loaded onto a carbon nanofiber membrane by the self-assembly properties of MXene for the treatment of organic pollutants in wastewater. The characterization of the TM-CN and the C-TM-CN was conducted via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) to ascertain the successful modification. The organic dye degradation experiments demonstrated that introducing an appropriate amount of Ti3C2 MXene resulted in the complete degradation of RhB within 60 min, three times the photocatalytic efficiency of a pure g-C3N4. The C-TM-CN exhibited the stable and outstanding photocatalytic degradation of the RhB solution over a wide range of pH values, indicating the characteristics of the photodegradation of organic pollutants in a wide range of aqueous environments. Furthermore, the results of the cyclic degradation experiments demonstrated that the C-TM-CN composite film maintained a degradation efficiency of over 85% after five cycles, thereby confirming a notable improvement in its cyclic stability. Consequently, the C-TM-CN composite film exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance and is readily recyclable, making it an auspicious eco-friendly material in water environment remediation.

Streamlined fabrication of AuPtRh trimetallic nanoparticles supported on Ti3C2MXene for enhanced photocatalytic activity in cephalosporins degradation

The escalating prevalence of cephalosporin antibiotics in wastewater poses a serious threat to public health and environmental balance. Thus, it is crucial to develop effective methods for removing cephalosporin antibiotics from water sources. Herein, we propose the use of AuPtRh trimetallic nanoparticles supported on Ti3C2MXene as a photocatalyst for the degradation of cephalosporin antibiotics. Initially, AuPtRh nanoparticles were uniformly grown onto Ti3C2MXene sheets using one-step reduction technique. The prepared AuPtRh/Ti3C2MXene exhibited a complete degradation of cefixime and ceftriaxone sodium, while an impressive degradation efficiency of 91.58 % for cephalexin was achieved after 60 min of exposure to visible light, surpassing the performance of its individual AuPtRh nanoparticles and Ti3C2MXene. The enhanced photoactivity of AuPtRh/Ti3C2MXene was resulted from improved light absorption capacity and efficient generation, separation, and transfer of charge carriers driven by the formation of heterojunction between AuPtRh and Ti3C2MXene. Electron paramagnetic resonance and radicals trapping experiments results revealed that •O2- and h+ are the principal reactive species governing the degradation of cephalosporins. The photocatalyst exhibited excellent stability and could be reused four times without significant loss in efficiency. Our study highlights the potential of MXene composites for environmental remediation, offering insights into designing sustainable AuPtRh/Ti3C2MXene photocatalyst for water pollutant degradation.