Recent developments and perspectives of MXene-Based heterostructures in photocatalysis

Abstract

Energy crises and environmental degradation are serious in recent years. Inexhaustible solar energy can be used for photocatalytic hydrogen production or CO₂ reduction to reduce CO₂ emissions. At present, the development of efficient photocatalysts is imminent. MXene as new two-dimensional (2D) layered material, has been used in various fields in recent years. Based on its high conductivity, adjustable band gap structure and sizable specific surface area, the MXene is beneficial to hasten the separation and reduce the combination of photoelectron-hole pairs in photocatalysis. Nevertheless, the re-stacking of layers because of the strong van der Waals force and hydrogen bonding interactions seriously hinder the development of MXene material as photocatalysts. By contrast, the MXene-based heterostructures composed of MXene nanosheets and other materials not only effectively suppress the re-stacking of layers, but also show the superior synergistic effects in photocatalysis. Herein, the recent progress of the MXene-based heterostructures as photocatalysts in energy and environment fields is summarized in this review. Particularly, new synthetic strategies, morphologies, structures, and mechanisms of MXene-based heterostructures are highlighted in hydrogen production, CO₂ reduction, and pollutant degradation. In addition, the structure-activity relationship between the synthesis strategy, components, morphology and structure of MXene-based heterostructures, and their photocatalytic properties are elaborated in detail. Finally, a summary and the perspectives on improving the application study of the heterostructures in photocatalysis are presented.

Keywords: Heterostructures; MXene; Photocatalytic activity; Structure-activity relationship; Synthesis strategy.