Synthesis and characterization of a novel MnO2@MXene-based 2D/3D hierarchical Z-scheme for sustainable environmental applications

Abstract

A wet chemical synthesis of a novel 2D/3D hierarchical Z-scheme that utilizes manganese oxide decorated 2D Ti3C2 MXene (MnO2@MXene), which is designed for effective utilization in environmentally sustainable applications, is presented in this study. The synergistic role of 20 nm thick MnO2 nanopetals (NPTs) and MXene sheets, which inhibited the electron/hole pair recombination and improved the surface activity, enhanced the catalytic properties of the material. This was facilitated by the unique 3D/2D structural characteristics of MnO2 NPTs and MXene. The MnO2 nanopetals NPTs integrated the MXene-based photocatalyst, which was synthesized using the ultrasonication approach, removed ∼99 % of the methylene blue dye (MB) and 75 % of the phenol within 30 min. The antibacterial test of the as-prepared MnO2@MXene simultaneously confirmed its admirable antibacterial efficacy. The recyclability test verified that the synthesized material can be recycled multiple times without a significant loss, which was only a 3 % loss in this case, in photocatalytic activity. The results imply that MnO2@MXene has significant promise as an eco-friendly material that is suitable for utilization in photocatalytic and antibacterial applications.