Delaminating Ti 3 C 2 MXene by blossom of ZnIn 2 S 4 microflowers for noble-metal-free photocatalytic hydrogen production

Herein, a novel strategy was exploited to achieve the delamination of Ti 3 C 2 MXene multilayers into ultrathin flakes by blossom of ZnIn 2 S 4 microflowers via a one-pot solvothermal method. There is no need to peel off the MXene bulk ahead of its combination with the semiconductor. The obtained ZnIn 2 S 4 /Ti 3 C 2 binary composites were applied for visible-light-driven photocatalytic hydrogen production without noble metal cocatalyst, and the optimized sample exhibited a hydrogen-production efficiency of 978.7 mu mol h - 1 g - 1 with the corresponding apparent quantum efficiency of 24.2% at 420 nm, which was 2.7 times higher than bare ZnIn 2 S 4 . Through the comprehensive analysis based on spectroscopy measurements, electrochemical techniques and energy band theory, such enhancement was mainly attributed to (1) the highly-exposed surface that was beneficial for the adequate exposure of reactive sites and (2) the intimate contact interface that favored the transfer of photogenerated carriers. This study provides a new way of thinking for synthesizing ultrathin MXene-based composite materials for noble-metal-free and highly-efficient photocatalysis applications. (c) 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

Automated summary

A novel strategy was developed to delaminate Ti3C2 MXene multilayers into ultrathin flakes using blossom of ZnIn2S4 microflowers, and the obtained composites showed enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production. The enhancement was mainly attributed to the highly-exposed surface and intimate contact interface.