Preparation and Dye Degradation Performances of Self-Assembled MXene-Co₃O₄ Nanocomposites Synthesized via Solvothermal Approach

Abstract

Two-dimensional metal carbides or nitrides (MXenes) demonstrated wide applications in energy storage, water treatment, electromagnetic shielding, gas/biosensing, and photoelectrochemical catalysis due to their higher specific surface area and excellent conductivity. They also have the advantages of flexible and adjustable components and controllable minimum nanolayer thickness. In this study, a cube-like Co 3 O 4 particle-modified self-assembled MXene (Ti 3 C 2 ) nanocomposite has been prepared successfully by a simple solvothermal method. The Co 3 O 4 particles are well dispersed on the surface and inner layers of the Ti 3 C 2 sheets, which effectively prevent the restacking of Ti 3 C 2 sheets and form an organized composite structure. The physical properties of these nanocomposites were studied by using XRD, SEM, EDX, TEM, and XPS. The performance of the obtained samples was evaluated as new nanocatalysts for degrading methylene blue and Rhodamine B in batch model experiments. The prepared Mxene-Co 3 O 4 nanocomposites can be well regenerated and reused for eight consecutive cycles, indicating potential wide applications in wastewater treatment and composite materials.

An Overview of Recent Advances in the Synthesis and Applications of the Transition Metal Carbide Nanomaterials

“…The etching of aluminum (Al) from the Ti 3 AlC 2 phase was done by using HF solution [ 8 , 37 , 38 , 39 ] or a solution mixture of HCl and LiF [ 1 , 40 ], or ammonium fluoride or ammonium hydrogen bifluoride [ 1 , 41 ] and fluoride containing etchant or heating [ 39 ]. The purposed reaction mechanism was demonstrated as below [ 39 ]: …”

“…Ten milligrams (10 mg) of the nanocomposite sample, in the presence of 15 mL H 2 O 2 , degraded the dye in 100 mL solution (12.5 mg/L of MB or 5 mg/L of RhB) at room temperature. The catalyst also showed good repeatability and was found to be active for up to eight consecutive cycles [ 40 ]. The degradation of methylene blue (MB) and acid blue 80 (AB80) was also performed by using Ti 3 C 2 T x , a representative multilayered MXene.…”

Application of MXenes in environmental remediation technologies

“…Therefore, the mechanically robust Pd/Ti 3 C 2 T x graphene hydrogels exhibited high activity, easy separability, and good cyclability. In another case, Lu et al [ 77 ] synthesized a Co 3 O 4 /Ti 3 C 2 MXene nanocomposite using a simple solvothermal method. The Co 3 O 4 /Ti 3 C 2 nanocomposite exhibited an outstanding degradation efficiency for MB and RhB dyes (128.91 mg g −1 of MB in 300 min, 47.076 mg g −1 of RhB in 100 min) with maintained catalytic capability for 8 consecutive catalytic cycles.…”

Investigations of2D Ti3C2(MXene)‐CoCr2O4nanocomposite as an efficient electrode material for electrochemical supercapacitors

“…A new form of two‐dimensional crystalline material with novel characteristics standing it as a shining star since its discovery ion obtained from MAX peeling is termed as “MXene.” 21‐25 It is simply a ternary layered transition‐metal carbide or nitride material possessing metallic as well as ceramic properties with a chemical formula M n +1 X n T x with n = 1 to 3 26 . Here M represents early transition metal such as Ti, Ta, V, Cr, etc., X is related to carbon, nitrogen or may be the combination of both and MXene functional groups are represented by T x = OH, F, O 27‐29 . Various MXene types have been successfully synthesized and hundreds were those that predicted theoretically, such a diversified chemically composed material gives researchers an opportunity to regulate its characteristic properties for attaining required nanomaterial 30‐32 …”