2D MXenes polar catalysts for multi-renewable energy harvesting applications

Xiaoyang Pan; Xuhui Yang; Maoqing Yu; Xiaoxiao Lu; Hao Kang; Min-Quan Yang; Qingrong Qian; Xiaojing Zhao; Shijing Liang; Zhenfeng Bian

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-39791-w

2D MXenes polar catalysts for multi-renewable energy harvesting applications

Nat Commun. 2023 Jul 13;14(1):4183. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-39791-w.

Authors

Xiaoyang Pan¹, Xuhui Yang², Maoqing Yu^{3

4}, Xiaoxiao Lu^{3

2}, Hao Kang², Min-Quan Yang⁵, Qingrong Qian², Xiaojing Zhao³, Shijing Liang⁶, Zhenfeng Bian⁷

Affiliations

¹ College of Chemical Engneering and Materials, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou, 362000, P. R. China. xypan@qztc.edu.cn.
² College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, College of Carbon Neutral Modern Industry, Fujian Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resource Reuse, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, P. R. China.
³ College of Chemical Engneering and Materials, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou, 362000, P. R. China.
⁴ National Engineering Research Center of Chemical Fertilizer Catalyst Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350002, P. R. China.
⁵ College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, College of Carbon Neutral Modern Industry, Fujian Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resource Reuse, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, P. R. China. yangmq@fjnu.edu.cn.
⁶ National Engineering Research Center of Chemical Fertilizer Catalyst Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350002, P. R. China. sjliang2012@fzu.edu.cn.
⁷ Education Ministry Key and International Joint Lab of Resource Chemistry and Shanghai Key Lab of Rare Earth Functional Materials, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China. bianzhenfeng@shnu.edu.cn.

Abstract

The synchronous harvesting and conversion of multiple renewable energy sources for chemical fuel production and environmental remediation in a single system is a holy grail in sustainable energy technologies. However, it is challenging to develop advanced energy harvesters that satisfy different working mechanisms. Here, we theoretically and experimentally disclose the use of MXene materials as versatile catalysts for multi-energy utilization. Ti₃C₂T_X MXene shows remarkable catalytic performance for organic pollutant decomposition and H₂ production. It outperforms most reported catalysts under the stimulation of light, thermal, and mechanical energy. Moreover, the synergistic effects of piezo-thermal and piezo-photothermal catalysis further improve the performance when using Ti₃C₂T_X. A mechanistic study reveals that hydroxyl and superoxide radicals are produced on the Ti₃C₂T_X under diverse energy stimulation. Furthermore, similar multi-functionality is realized in Ti₂CT_X, V₂CT_X, and Nb₂CT_X MXene materials. This work is anticipated to open a new avenue for multisource renewable energy harvesting using MXene materials.

2D MXenes polar catalysts for multi-renewable energy harvesting applications

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding