Fabricating Ti3C2 MXene cocatalyst supported NiAl-LDH/g-C3N4 ternary nanocomposite for stimulating solar photocatalytic H2 production

Abstract

The development of effective nanotextures for photocatalytic H2 generation has been the focus of extensive study aimed to alleviate the associated energy and environmental problems. The intrinsic power of natural photosynthesis may be significantly replicated by constructing Z-scheme-based charge-transfer heterostructures. In this study, a two-dimensional Ti3C2 MXene supported NiAl-LDH/g-C3N4 heterojunction for increased photocatalytic H2 production under visible light has been examined in terms of design and fabrication. A modified hydrothermal technique was used to create a composite of NiAl-LDH/Ti3C2/g-C3N4 and the effect of variables including catalyst loading, sacrificial reagents, and irradiation time was investigated. The photocatalytic activity of NiAl-LDH/Ti3C2/g-C3N4 composite for H2 evolution reached to 720 µmol/g, which is 2, 1.4, and 1.2 times greater than g-C3N4, NiAl-LDH/g-C3N4, and Ti3C2/g-C3N4 samples, respectively. This obvious augmented activity was due to the formation of Z-scheme heterojunctions which contributed to maximize oxidation/reduction reaction and facilitating separation and migration of photoinduced electron-hole pairs in the presence of Ti3C2 MXene. Furthermore, using Triethanolamine with 100 mg catalyst loading, highest H2 yield was attained due to more attachment of reactants over the catalyst surface with minimum light diffusions effects. The stable layered structure, switchable property of layered composites and high interface contact area of the composite was discovered to play crucial roles in boosting the photocatalytic efficiency for H2 production.