Facile fabrication of a metal-free D-2-D-2 Nb(2)CTx@g-C(3)N(4 )MXene-based Schottky-heterojunction with the potential application in photocatalytic processes

Clean energy production and environmental detoxification through photocatalysis have received wide-spread attention due to their efficiency and capability to address global energy and environmental related calamities. Moreover, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and many other single-semiconductor based pho-tocatalysts have been widely explored; however, their performance is still unsatisfactory. Herein, the engineering of g-C3N4 as a primary photocatalyst interlayered with niobium carbide (Nb2CTx) MXene co-catalyst for the formation of efficient photo-responsive Schottky-heterojunction photocatalyst is demon-strated. Visible-light absorption of g-C3N4 is proportional to the Nb2CTx contents. Moreover, g-C3N4 energy bandgap was significantly lowered from 2.61 eV to 2.19, 2.08, and 2.32 eV for 1, 3, and 5 wt% of Nb2CTx loaded onto g-C3N4, respectively. Nb2CTx MXene as a co-catalyst allows a formation of an efficient photo-catalyst with high potential to eliminate the use of costly noble metals. The devised Schottky-junction restrained the electron recombination rates threefold relative to the pristine g-C3N4. The conduction band potential of g-C3N4 and the composites were observed to be more positive in relation to the standard reduction potential of O-2/center dot O-2- (-0.33 V) CO2/CO (-0.53 V), CO3N4 (-0.24 V), H-2/H+ (0.0 V), signifying its merits potentials for photocatalysis. The observed charge carriers with more negative reduction potential facilitates efficient photocatalytic reactions, particularly in hydrogen production and catalytic transforma-tion of carbon dioxide into useful sources of energy. Fabricating a heterostructure between g-C3N4 and Nb2CTx MXene demonstrates the feasibility of facile preparation of photocatalysts with merit features due to synergistic catalytic effects. (c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.