2D ultrathin NiMOF decorated by Ti3C2 MXene for highly improved photocatalytic performance

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, especially 2D ultrathin layered nanomaterials, have been under increasing demand for solar energy usage and conversion owing to their unique characteristics such as large surface area, easily accessible catalytic sites and high electron transfer efficiency. In this work, layered Ti3C2 was used as the noble-metal-free cocatalyst to design 2D/2D composite by a simple electrostatic self-assembly process, which was based on the ultrathin nickel metal organic framework (UNiMOF) nanosheets. Thanks to the similar layered structures, a conductive and intimate interface formed between Ti3C2 and UNiMOF, which could promote the charge transfer and accelerate the separation of photoexcited electrons and holes. Thus, the obtained 2D/2D UNiMOF/Ti3C2 hybrids exhibited higher activity for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) than bare UNiMOF under UV–vis light irradiation, and the activity was boosted by almost 4.0 times when loaded with 1.5 wt% Ti3C2. Moreover, the as-synthesized UNiMOF/Ti3C2 composites showed excellent stability. The possible mechanism for photocatalytic degradation of MB was also explored.