MXene as a Superior Charge-Transport Layer in an MXene–BiFeO₃–ZnO Nanocomposite for Photocatalytic Disintegration of Antacids

Abstract

In recent times, the environmental and pure water crisis requires many types of scientific evaluation to handle the issues caused by different pharmaceutical drugs. The current work involves the synthesis of ternary hybrid nanomaterials based on Ti3C2MXene–BiFeO3 (BFO)–ZnO and their applications as photocatalysts for the disintegration of antacids. The introduction of the two-dimensional (2D) MXene layer in the BFO–ZnO heterostructures not only creates additional reaction hotspots but also enhances charge-transport properties through favorable band alignments at the interface as revealed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Therefore, the ternary nanocomposite device exhibits enhanced photocurrent and improved photocatalytic degradation performance. The degradation efficiency of the most commercially used antacid, pantoprazole, can reach up to 92.05% and reveals good stability and an apparent quantum yield of 1.7%. Furthermore, possible degradation pathways of the antacids and degradation mechanisms were proposed by identifying degraded products using high-resolution mass spectrometry. This work realizes the objective of formulating a metal oxide-based hybrid nano-photocatalyst supported on a 2D MXene, which provides an efficient way to prepare low-cost and high-efficiency heterojunctions to disintegrate pharmaceutical contaminants from real water matrices.

A MXene–BiFeO3–ZnO nanocomposite photocatalyst served as a high-performance supercapacitor electrode

“…The MXBZ nanocomposite was fabricated using a low-cost hydrothermal process. 36 A homogeneous solution of BZ was prepared by mixing 100 mg of BZ powder and 30 mL of water using an ultrasonication bath at 60 °C. To fabricate the MXBZ heterostructure with a variation of MXene weight percentage in the MXBZ nanocomposite, 2 mg, 5 mg, 8 mg, and 15 mg of the MXene nanosheet was added to that solution.…”

“…Indeed, the previously documented references also yield similar results. 36,48 The fact that the XRD peaks of MXene are significantly lower in intensity than the highly crystalline BFO or ZnO also explains the absence of prominent peaks associated with MXene in the MXBZ nanocomposite. This disparity in intensity makes it difficult to indicate distinct peaks attributed to MXene within the composite material.…”

“…The nanocomposite of MXene-BiFeO 3 and MXene-BiFeO 3 -ZnO has been studied for potential applications in photocatalysis for organic pollutants and pharmaceutical drug treatment. 35,36 In a nanocomposite material, the performance depends on a variety of factors such as the ratio of each component, the preparation method, and the properties of the resulting material. In terms of photocatalysis, the combination of these materials enhances the efficiency of photocatalytic reactions by taking advantage of the unique properties of each material.…”

Real-Space Observation of an In Situ-Built Schottky Junction in a Two-Dimensional MXene Layer

“…), Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene is the most popular 2D material because of its easy delamination into a monolayer by HF treatment, which can help to explore the real 2D characteristics of MXene. Pristine Ti 3 C 2 MXene is expected to form a Schottky junction with semiconductors, which is usually formed at the semiconductor–metal interface by utilizing the difference in the work function of metal and semiconductor. − Several studies showed that conductive Ti 3 C 2 MXene can effectively promote the photocatalytic performance of TiO 2 , ZnO, CeO 2 , g-C 3 N 4 , CdS, Bi 2 S 3 , and ternary semiconductors by superior interface engineering. − The enhanced catalytic activity of TiO 2 is mainly due to the efficient separation of charge carriers at the heterojunctions formed between Ti 3 C 2 T x and TiO 2 . ,− Unlike conventional metallic materials, 2D Ti 3 C 2 MXene used as a gas-sensing metal reveals excellent performance by modulation of in situ-built Ti 3 C 2 –TiO 2 Schottky barriers within the sensing channel. − Likewise, the rutile TiO 2 nanoparticles obtained from Ti 3 C 2 MXene oxidations are proven to be beneficial for the electron transporting layer in perovskite solar cells owing to their excellent defect and trap-assisted recombination suppression properties at the interface. , …”

Exposing high-activity (111) facet CoO octahedral loading MXene quantum dots for efficient and stable photocatalytic H2 evolution

“…[24][25][26] Furthermore, the edge architecture and extensive surface functional groups within MXene quantum dots facilitate the formation of heterojunctions to semiconductor materials, establishing strong built-in electric fields as well as tight interfacial contacts. 27,28 The synergistic effect can significantly hasten the transfer and separation of photo-generated electrons and holes in heterojunction contact interfaces, which is the key factor in improving photocatalytic performance. Recently, several studies have shown that the construction of heterojunctions of MXene quantum dots with Cu 2 O, g-C 3 N 4 , and SiC significantly improved photocatalytic activity.…”