Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange dye by Ti3C2-TiO2 heterojunction under solar light

Abstract

Photocatalytic activity is a feasible solution to tackle environmental pollution caused by industrial pollutants. In this research, Ti₃C₂-TiO₂ composite with a unique structure was fabricated successfully via a hydrothermal method. Especially, the in-situ transformation of TiO₂ from Ti₃C₂ MXene creates an intimate heterostructure, which leads to prolonging separation and migration of charged carriers. Thus, this Ti₃C₂-TiO₂ composite enhances effectively methyl orange (MO) degradation efficiency (around 99%) after 40 light-exposed minutes. Besides, the optimal concentration of MO solution was estimated at 40 mg/L and Ti₃C₂-TiO₂ photocatalyst also exhibited good stability after five runs. Moreover, the radical trapping test and the MO photodegradation mechanism over Ti₃C₂-TiO₂ system were also demonstrated. This research illustrates the potential of MXenes as effective co-catalysts for photocatalysis and extends the applications of two-dimensional materials.

Keywords: Methyl orange; Photocatalytic degradation; Ti(3)C(2)–TiO(2) heterojunction.