0D/2D/3D ternary Au/Ti3C2/TiO2 photocatalyst based on accelerating charge transfer and enhanced stability for efficiently hydrogen production

The development of multi-components composited photocatalytic materials with strong interaction is a key approach to realize the spatial separation and fast transfer of charge carriers in H-2 production. In this study, 2D layered Ti3C2 with -OH group was introduced to stabilize thiolate-protected Au clusters by strong electrostatic interaction and coupled with TiO2 nanoparticles to build a 0D/2D/3D ternary Au/Ti3C2/TiO2 photocatalyst for H-2 evolution. In this composited material, Ti3C2 can serve as the electron transfer intermedium accelerating charge transfer from TiO2 to Au clusters. Au/Ti3C2/TiO2 shows excellent photocatalytic performance for H-2 production (7989 mu mol center dot g(-1)h(-1)), approximately 13.7 times higher than that of Au/TiO2. Photoluminescence spectra and photoelectrochemical results confirm that the introducing of layered Ti3C2 into ternary Au/Ti3C2/ TiO2 material can markedly suppress the photogenerated charge recombination and thus enhance the charge separation efficiency. Moreover, after several cyclic reactions, Au/Ti3C2/TiO2 maintained a high stability and durability, indicating the strong interaction of Ti3C2 with Au and TiO2. This work not only highlights the significant role of MXene for the enhancement of photogenerated electron transfer, but also demonstrates a clearly objective to construct a suitable composited photocatalyst for H-2 production.

Automated summary

The study developed a composite photocatalyst consisting of 2D layered Ti3C2, thiolate-protected Au clusters, and TiO2 nanoparticles. The introduced Ti3C2 served as an intermedium for electron transfer and significantly improved the charge transfer efficiency. The resulting Au/Ti3C2/TiO2 photocatalyst exhibited excellent performance for H-2 production, with a rate 13.7 times higher than Au/TiO2. The strong interaction between Ti3C2 and Au/TiO2 also contributed to the high stability and durability of the composite material.