Ti3C2 MXene supporting platinum nanoparticles as rapid electrons transfer channel and active sites for boosted photocatalytic water splitting over g-C3N4

Kelei Huang; Chongyang Lv; Chunhu Li; Hongcun Bai; Xiangchao Meng

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.169

Ti₃C₂ MXene supporting platinum nanoparticles as rapid electrons transfer channel and active sites for boosted photocatalytic water splitting over g-C₃N₄

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Apr 15:636:21-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.169. Epub 2023 Jan 3.

Authors

Kelei Huang¹, Chongyang Lv², Chunhu Li³, Hongcun Bai⁴, Xiangchao Meng⁵

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Resource Processing and Process Intensification Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
² Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China. Electronic address: lichunhu@ouc.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China. Electronic address: mengxiangchao@ouc.edu.cn.

PMID: 36621126
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.169

Abstract

Two-dimension (2D) MXene materials have increasingly attracted attentions in improving the photocatalytic conversion of solar-to-chemical energy over graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄). In this work, Pt nanoparticles modified few-layer Ti₃C₂ MXene sheet (MXene@Pt) was successfully prepared by chemical reduction, which was used as efficient co-catalysts to enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over porous g-C₃N₄ (PCN). The high work function of MXene@Pt and the tight 2D/2D interfacial contact between MXene@Pt and PCN significantly promoted the transfer and separation of photogenerated electron-hole. Besides, the MXene@Pt could enhance the light-harvesting of PCN and provide plentiful active sites for hydrogen evolution reaction. The hydrogen evolution activity of optimum 2D/2D MXene@Pt modified PCN (PCN/MPt-5) composite was dramatically enhanced, even higher than that of equal Pt mass modified PCN. Besides, overall water splitting was realized via a two-electron pathway with H₂O₂ and H₂ generation. This work may provide the fabrication strategy for developing MXene-based co-catalyst in photocatalysis.

Keywords: Photocatalytic H(2) evolution; Pt nanoparticles; Schottky junction; Ti(3)C(2) MXene sheets; g-C(3)N(4).