Titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) decorated molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) nanoflower composite enhanced photo-electrocatalytic activity in hydrogen evolution

Abstract

Two-dimensional titanium carbides (Ti3C2Tx) are part of the novel family of transition metal carbides/nitrides known as MXenes, which exhibit a broad range of photo-electrocatalytic applications. In this study, we present a facile hydrothermal synthesis method for Ti3C2Tx decorated on molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) nanoflower composites, serving as an enhanced catalyst for hydrogen (H2) evolution. Ti3C2Tx, acting as a 2D conductive substrate, facilitates electron transfer, preventing MoSe2 agglomeration, while MoSe2 offers abundant active sites. The characterizations of surface analysis, optical properties, morphological nanostructure, and elemental composition performance of Ti3C2Tx nanosheets, MoSe2 nanoflowers, and Ti3C2Tx/MoSe2 nanoflower composites was conducted using FTIR, XRD, UV–Visible spectroscopy, SEM, EDS Mapping, TEM, and XPS techniques. The catalyst with optimal performance, the Ti3C2Tx/MoSe2 nanoflower composite demonstrates excellent functional properties in the H2 evolution, showing a lower overpotential of 135 mV and smaller Tafel slope of 72 mV/dec at 10 mA/cm2 compared to Ti3C2Tx nanosheets and MoSe2 nanoflowers. The Ti3C2Tx/MoSe2 nanoflower composite forms heterojunctions to inhibit the rapid recombination rate of photo-induced electrons and holes. In comparison to MoSe2 nanoflowers and Ti3C2Tx catalysts (where Tx = F, and O surface terminations), the optimized Ti3C2Tx/MoSe2 nanoflower composite exhibits significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity in H2 production, with a H2 production rate of 2146 μmolg−1h−1 superior than the Ti3C2Tx nanosheets (1367 μmolg−1h−1) and MoSe2 nanoflowers (986 μmolg−1h−1), respectively. Through this design, effective separation of photogenerated charge carriers is achieved, improving the activity of photocatalytic H2 production and demonstrating the promise of the cocatalyst strategy for photocatalysis.