Close Interfacial Contact Research Articles

In-situ construction of Bi-MOF-derived S-scheme BiOBr/CdIn2S4 heterojunction with rich oxygen vacancy for selective photocatalytic CO2 reduction using water

In this study, a highly selective MOF-BiOBr/CdIn2S4 (MOF-BiOBr/CIS) heterostructure with CdIn2S4 nanosheets grown in situ on the tubular structure derived from Bi-MOF-based BiOBr was successfully constructed using a hydrothermal method. Under simulated solar light without sacrificial or photosensitizing agents, the 20-MOF-BiOBr/CIS composite exhibited excellent photocatalytic CO2 performance, achieving production rates of 30.18 μmol‧g−1‧h−1 for CO and 1.50 μmol‧g−1‧h−1 for CH4. Compared to pure MOF-BiOBr and CdIn2S4, the CO production rates were increased by approximately 9 and 116 times, respectively. It was revealed that the 20-MOF-BiOBr/CIS composite with rich oxygen vacancy exhibited close interfacial contact and efficient charge transfer. The formation of MOF-BiOBr/CdIn2S4 heterojunction thereby provided efficient CO2 photocatalytic reduction. The CO selectivity of 20-MOF-BiOBr/CIS reached 83.4 %, and the MOF-BiOBr/CIS heterojunction exhibited good stability over multiple cycles. Furthermore, a mechanism for enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction by the MOF-BiOBr/CIS heterojunction was also proposed.

In situ formation of ZnS/Ni3S2 with hybrid nanostructure of MoS2/ZnO on graphene/nickel foam for enhanced photoelectrochemical activity

This article presents a novel method for in situ forming ZnS/Ni3S2 with a hybrid nanostructure MoS2/ZnO directly on a graphene/nickel foam (NF) by chemical vapor deposition and a hydrothermal process. The MoS2/ZnO/graphene/NF (MZGN) shows exceptional performance and achieves a remarkable photocurrent density, surpassing NF, ZnO/NF, and ZGN by approximately 29, 7, and 3 times, respectively. The MZGN photoanode exhibits a maximum applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 5.5% at 0.09 V versus Ag/AgCl, corresponding to a 1.5-fold increase over the ZGN photoanode. These enhancements result from MoS2's visible-light absorption, in situ generation of ZnS and Ni3S2, and close interfacial contact between semiconductors, which allows for efficient charge separation and transport. The inclusion of graphene as a co-catalyst improves the PEC performance and significantly reduces the onset potential. The charge transfer mechanism was proposed to comprehensively understand the process of PEC activity in semiconductors and co-catalysts. These findings contribute to the advancement of PEC technology and provide important insights for the design and development of photoanodes for improved PEC activities, contributing to the progress of sustainable hydrogen production and renewable energy utilization.

AgCo bimetallic cocatalyst modified g-C3N4 for improving photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Bimetallic AgCo/g-C3N4 photocatalysts were successfully prepared by a facile chemical reduction method and used to investigate their photocatalytic H2 production performance. Bimetallic AgCo as a cocatalyst can be well matched with g-C3N4, which is beneficial for increasing the number of active reaction sites and narrowing the band gap. A possible photocatalytic mechanism was explored by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, UV–vis DRS, BET, and PL characterization. The photocatalytic H2 production activity of the optimal 5%AgCo/g-C3N4 photocatalyst reached 12994.2 μmoL/g, which was 54.7 times higher than g-C3N4. Owing to the close interfacial contact between bimetallic AgCo and g-C3N4, the transfer distance was shortened, and the photogenerated electron and hole pairs were effectively separated. This study provides a new strategy for the synthesis of excellent H2 production photocatalysts using bimetallic nanoparticles.

Recyclable and dual-functional Ag3PO4/3D graphene aerogel photocatalysts for simultaneous water oxidation and pollutant degradation

Exploiting recyclable and reusable photocatalysts in pollutants elimination and water splitting has drawn extensive research attention for solving the increasing energy and environmental issues. Herein, we designed a high-performance dual functional Ag3PO4/three-dimensional (3D) graphene aerogel (APGA) photocatalyst, in which the 3D GA with extremely lightweight and high mechanical stability served as the support for Ag3PO4 particles, preventing the serious weight loss during the recovery process. Moreover, different from the traditional powder photocatalysts, the application of 3D GA support avoided the secondary contamination caused by the catalyst residue during the reaction. The abundant hydroxyl groups on the surface of porous 3D GA prevented the aggregation of Ag3PO4 particles, forming a close interfacial contact. Profiting from the large number of active sites and high conductivity of 3D GA, the optimized APGA-12 sample showed excellent O2 generation (814.1 μmol·g−1) and synchronous Cr (VI) reduction (87.5 %) efficiency. In addition, the APGA-12 sample also exhibited excellent carbamazepine (CBZ) degradation activity (99 % within 30 min) in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). Cycling experiments combined with the scaled-up reactions verified the good mechanical and chemical stability of APGA samples. This work provided a promising strategy for solving the problems of catalyst recycling in the field of pollutant degradation and water oxidation.

Fabrication of low-cost, self-floating, and recyclable Janus nanofibrous membrane by centrifugal spinning for photodegradation of dyes

Photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes is an efficient and environmentally friendly technology. To address the challenges of difficult recovery and low reuse of powder catalysts, this study combined the side-by-side centrifugal spinning technique with the nanoparticle co-loading method to prepare heterogeneous structured photocatalytic Janus nanofibrous membranes. Furthermore, the PAN-ZnO//PVDF-TiO2 fibrous membrane exhibited optimal photocatalytic performance and the degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B dye was 76.40%, which was 3.84% and 9.46% higher than that of PAN-ZnO//PVDF and PAN//PVDF-TiO2 with single-sided catalyst loading, respectively. Moreover, even after undergoing five cycles, the photocatalytic degradation rate of dyes by Janus fibrous membrane remained as high as 71.13%. This remarkable and sustained photocatalytic performance is attributed to the stable construction of the Janus fibers and the heterogeneous structure formed between the catalyst components, which successfully facilitates close interfacial contact and improves the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, resulting in enhanced photocatalytic performance. The fabrication process utilized in this study introduces a novel strategy for treating dye pollutants using photocatalytic fiber materials.

Engineering a Z-Scheme Heterostructure on ZnIn2S4@NH2-MIL-125 Composites for Boosting the Photocatalytic Performance.

Constructing a Z-scheme heterostructure on a metal-organic framework (MOF) composite with an explicit charge transfer mechanism at the interface is considered to be an effective strategy for improving the photocatalytic performance of MOFs. Herein, an internal electric field (IEF)-induced Z-scheme heterostructure on the ZnIn2S4@NH2-MIL-125 composite is designed and fabricated by a facile electrostatic self-assembly process. Systematic investigations reveal that close interfacial contact and difference in work function between NH2-MIL-125 and ZnIn2S4 enable the formation of the IEF, which drives the Z-scheme charge transfer as revealed by the in situ irradiated X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ISI-XPS), photoirradiated Kelvin probe force microscope (KPFM) measurement, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) radical trapping experiment, as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculation; meanwhile, directions of the interfacial IEFs are determined. Benefiting from the unique merit of IEF-induced Z-scheme charge transfer, the optimized ZnIn2S4@NH2-MIL-125 composite exhibits significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for the photoreduction of 4-nitroaniline (4-NA) to p-phenylenediamine (PPD) under visible light irradiation. This work not only provides in-depth insights for charge transfer in the IEF-induced Z scheme heterostructure but also affords useful inspirations on designing the Z-scheme MOF composite to boost the photocatalytic performance.

Stabilizing a Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3/Li metal anode interface in solid-state batteries with a LiF/Cu-rich multifunctional interlayer.

Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP) has attracted much attention due to its high ionic conductivity, good air stability and low cost. However, the practical application of LATP in all-solid-state lithium batteries faces serious challenges, such as high incompatibility with lithium metal and high interfacial impedance. Herein, a CuF2 composite layer was constructed at a Li/LATP interface by a simple drop coating method. CuF2 in the interlayer reacts with lithium metal in situ to form a multifunctional interface rich in Cu and LiF. The multifunctional layer not only brings about close interfacial contact between LATP and Li metal, but also effectively prevents the electrochemical reaction of LATP with Li metal, and suppresses the electron tunneling and dendrite growth at the interface. The interfacial resistance of Li/CuF2@LATP/Li symmetric batteries is significantly reduced from 562 to 92 Ω, and the critical current density is increased to 1.7 mA cm-2. An impressive stable cycle performance of over 6000 h at 0.1 mA cm-2/0.1 mA h cm-2, 2200 h at 0.2 mA cm-2/0.2 mA h cm-2 and 1600 h at 0.3 mA cm-2/0.3 mA h cm-2 is achieved. Full batteries of LiFePO4/CuF2@LATP/Li also show a high capacity retention ratio of 80.3% after 540 cycles at 25 °C. This work provides an effective and simple composite layer solution to address the interfacial problem of Li/LATP.

Construction of a hierarchical CoP@ZnIn2S4 heterojunction for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

The close interfacial contact facilitates the light-induced electron separation and transfer from ZIS to CoP, which synergistically yields an efficient hydrogen production performance.

Mixed-valence bimetallic Ce/Zr-NH2-UiO-66 modified with CdIn2S4 to form S-scheme heterojunction for boosting photocatalytic CO2 reduction

A bimetallic Ce/Zr-UiO-66-NH2/CdIn2S4 (Ce-NU66/CIS) heterojunction close interfacial contact has been designed by in-situ hydrothermal co-synthesis of Ce/Zr-NH2-UiO-66 and CdIn2S4. The one-pot-synthesized heterojunction was employed for CO2 reduction without any sacrificial agent. The Ce-NU66/CIS exhibits visible-light-active characteristics accompanied by improved excited charge separation, along with high surface area and well-dispersed heterojunction structure compared to the pristine MOF and CdIn2S4. Doping Ce ions can produce some oxygen vacancies (OVs) and enhance the electron density surrounding Zr4+ ions, which ultimately resulted in an increase in the photocatalytic effect. In the absence of any sacrificial reagents, the optimized 8 wt% Ce0.2NU66/CIS sample exhibited significantly improved photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity, with CO production rate of 6.01 μmol‧g−1‧h−1 and a high CO selectivity of 54.98 %, which were 3.72 and 1.96 times contrasting to the original CdIn2S4, and 17.83 and 2.47 times in comparison of NU66, respectively. Consequently, the bimetallic Ce/Zr-UiO-66-NH2/CdIn2S4 could have the potential to be used as a photocatalyst with improved properties for studying CO2 reduction. It may provide a rational design for constructing mixed-valent bimetallic for soler-driven CO2 conversion.

Steering Charge Directional Separation in MXenes/Titanium Dioxide for Efficient Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation

Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation has attracted much attention because of its ability to synthesize ammonia under mild conditions. However, the ammonia yield is still greatly limited by the sluggish charge separation and extremely high N2 dissociation energy. Herein, two-dimensional Ti3C2 MXene ultrathin nanosheets were introduced to construct Ti3C2/TiO2 composites via electrostatic adsorption for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation. The photocatalytic activity experiments showed that after adding 0.1 wt% Ti3C2, the ammonia yield of the Ti3C2/TiO2 composite reached 67.9 μmol L−1 after 120 min of light irradiation, nearly 3 times higher than that of the monomer TiO2. XPS, DRS, LSV, and FTIR were used to explore the possible photocatalytic nitrogen fixation mechanism. Studies showed that a close interfacial contact has been formed via the bonding mode of =C-O between the Ti3C2 and TiO2 samples. The formed =C-O bond boosts an oriented photogenerated charge separation and transfer in the Ti3C2/TiO2 composite. This work provides a promising idea for constructing other efficient MXene-based composite photocatalysts for artificial photosynthesis.

Oxygen vacancy induced robust interfacial electric field for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production

Photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can convert low-density solar energy into storable chemical energy by only utilizing water and oxygen as feedstock, and sunlight as stimulator. However, it is encountered a great deal of hurdles for further improving the photocatalytic H2O2 production, such as the narrow light absorption range of a single semiconductor, low separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and limited surface active sites. Although construction of heterojunction is an effective tactic to modulate the charge transfer path and improve the utilization of visible light, realizing close interfacial contact with a strong interfacial electric field (IEF) remains challenging. Herein, we construct a chemically bonded heterojunction, abbreviated as BON-Ov/CN, which consists of g-C3N4 and Bi2O2(NO3)(OH) decorated with oxygen vacancies (Ovs) to solve all the above problems in one fell swoop. The optimal BON-Ov/CN exhibits a photocatalytic H2O2 production performance of 706.2 µmol L-1, which is 19.1, 14.9 and 4.9 times higher than that of BON, BON-Ov and CN, respectively. It was demonstrated that the largely enhanced catalytic activity is attributed to the type-II heterojunction between BON-Ov and CN. In particular, the introduction of Ovs on BON can induce a strengthened IEF to boost the interfacial directional charge transfer and enhance its surface active sites to some extent. This study offers a fresh perspective on improving interfacial charge migration of heterojunctions by vacancy-induced IEF regulation strategy.

Construction of BiOCl/Bi2WO6 Z-scheme heterojunction with close interfacial contact using CNT as electron medium

Enhancing carrier separation capabilities and extending the visible light absorption range are essential for overcoming the low photocatalytic performance of single semiconductors. In this study, by using hydrothermal and ion-exchange methods, a series of Z-scheme heterojunction BiOCl/CNT/Bi2WO6 photocatalysts with visible light response were successfully constructed by using carbon nanotubes (CNT) as an electronic medium. Under visible light irradiation, the photocatalytic performances of the samples were evaluated by the degradation of tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. The results shown that the BiOCl/CNT/Bi2WO6 heterojunction photocatalysts possessed excellent photocatalytic activity, and the kinetics reaction models of the photocatalysts followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. This excellent photocatalytic performance may be due to the acceleration of photogenerated carrier separation due to the formation of heterojunction and the CNT as an electronic medium, as well as the close contact interface between the BiOCl/Bi2WO6 heterojunction, which shortened the carrier migration path. The charge transfer mechanism in the BiOCl/CNT/Bi2WO6 Z-scheme heterojunction composites was proposed based on the results of trapping experiments, in-situ XPS and SPV. Furthermore, three degradation pathways were discussed, and toxicity assessments of intermediates showed that the toxicity after photocatalytic degradation decreased. This study could bring light on the development of promising and novel CNT-mediated Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts for pollutant degradation.

Enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity of FeVO4/Bi2WO6 heterojunction via Z-scheme charge-transfer mechanism

The design and construction of a Z-scheme heterojunction, aiming to strengthen its redox ability for photocatalytic applications, is challenging. In this study, a series of x mol%-FeVO4/Bi2WO6 heterostructures were fabricated. FeVO4 content was tuned for enhanced organic pollutants photodegradation. The 2.5 mol%-FeVO4/Bi2WO6 photocatalyst exhibited superior photodegradation efficiency with high recyclability and stability for bisphenol A and methylene blue, which was 3.3 and 2.6 times faster than that of Bi2WO6, respectively. Moreover, the fabricated photocatalyst showed remarkable selectivity toward methylene blue as compared to that toward brilliant green and methyl orange. The photo-efficacy was enhanced owing to the close interfacial contact between Bi2WO6 and FeVO4 nanoparticles, resulting in a Z-scheme FeVO4/Bi2WO6 heterojunction, which enabled efficient charge transfer imparting strong reducing ability to the electrons for the reduction of O2 to •O2−, and subsequent production of H2O2 and •OH. This work highlights a potential photocatalyst for photodegradation of environmental pollutants.

Revolutionizing the Role of Solar Light Responsive BiVO4/BiOBr Heterojunction Photocatalyst for the Photocatalytic Deterioration of Tetracycline and Photoelectrocatalytic Water Splitting.

In this study, a series of BiVO4/BiOBr composites with varying mole ratios were successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method. The in-situ synthesis strategy facilitated the formation of a close interfacial contact between BiVO4 and BiOBr at the depletion zone, resulting in improved charge segregation, migration, reduced charge recombination, enhanced solar light absorption capacity, promoting narrow band gap, and large surface area. This study investigates the influence of different mole ratios of BiVO4 and BiOBr in a BiVO4/BiOBr nanocomposite on the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC), a pharmaceutical pollutant, and photoelectrocatalytic water splitting (PEC) under solar light irradiation. Maximum decomposition efficiency of ~90.4% (with a rate constant of 0.0159 min-1) for TC was achieved with 0.5 g/L of 3:1 BiVO4: BiOBr (31BVBI) photocatalyst within 140 min. The degraded compounds resulting from the TC abatement were analyzed using GC-MS. Furthermore, TC standards exhibited 78.2% and 87.7% removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC), respectively, while TC tablets showed 64.6% COD removal and 73.8% TOC removal. The PEC water splitting experiments demonstrated that the 31BVBI photoanode achieved the highest photocurrent density of approximately 0.2198 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE, resulting in the generation of approximately 1.864 mmolcm-2 s-1 of hydrogen, while remaining stable for 21,600 s. The stability of the photocatalyst was confirmed by post-degradation characterizations, which revealed intact crystalline planes, shape, and surface area. Comparisons with existing physicochemical methods used in industries indicate that the reported photocatalyst possesses strong surface catalytic properties and has the potential for application in industrial wastewater treatment and hydrogen generation, offering an advantageous alternative to costly and time-consuming processes.

Synthesis of Ternary Cross-Linked MoS2/WS2/CdS Photocatalysts for Photocatalytic H2 Production

Photocatalytic H2 production provides an ideal way to alleviate the energy crisis and solve environmental problems. In this paper, the metallic MoS2/WS2 dual cocatalysts are prepared through the in situ growth of 1T-WS2 on the surface of 1T-MoS2 via a solvothermal method. The ternary cross-linked MoS2/WS2/CdS photocatalysts are finally constructed by growing CdS nanorods on MoS2/WS2 cocatalysts. The XRD and TEM results show that ternary cross-linked MoS2/WS2/CdS photocatalysts with close interfacial contact were successfully synthesized. The results of Photoluminescence (PL) and photoelectrochemical tests show that MoS2/WS2/CdS has the lowest hydrogen evolution overpotential and the highest charge separation efficiency. This is due to the synergistic effect between WS2 and MoS2, which further accelerates the transfer of photogenerated electrons and inhibits the recombination of carriers. The hydrogen evolution rate of the MoS2/WS2/CdS composite is 12.12 mmol·g−1·h−1, which is 4.57 times that of pristine CdS. The AQY at λ = 420 nm is 58.9%.

Rapid Bio-Assisted Synthesis and Magnetic Behavior of Zinc Oxide/Carbon Nanoparticles

The biomimetic synthesis of a ZnO/C nanocomposite has been achieved using the egg white-assisted self-combustion method. The characterization of this composite has been carried out using different techniques, such as XRD, FTIR, Raman, SEM/EDS and TEM. A comparative study was conducted between ZnO in the form of this composite and pristine ZnO, which was prepared via the same procedures but without the egg white. The resulting ZnO had a hexagonal structure, similar to wurtzite, with a P63mc space group. When this egg white method was used to produce a ZnO-based material, a ZnO/C nanocomposite was developed, and the ZnO’s crystallite size was significantly decreased. The structural properties—including the unit cell volume, strain, atom displacement and dislocation density—of this ZnO crystal are increased as a result of the presence of a C atom. On the other hand, the length of the Zn–O bond is reduced by the presence of the C atom. Results derived from a combination of Raman, FTIR, and EDS demonstrate that the carbonaceous layers and ZnO nanoparticles were integrated with a close interfacial contact. The preparation method used here brought about obvious changes in the morphological and magnetic behaviors of the as-prepared materials. Using a small amount of egg white resulted in the transformation of the particle’s shape from a hexagonal cone-type structure to an ellipsoidal structure. Based on an analysis of diffuse reflectance, the ZnO and ZnO/C band gap values were revealed using UV–VIS spectra. ZnO and ZnO/C exhibit band gap energies of 3.09 and 2.60 eV, respectively. A phase transition from weakly ferromagnetic to completely diamagnetic magnetic was discovered.

Photothermal Conversion Boosted Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction over S-Scheme CeO2@Cu-TCPP: In Situ Experiments and DFT Calculations

Herein, interfacial and defect-engineering strategies synergistically promote photocatalytic properties. Because of the matching energy levels and the close interfacial contact, the CeO2@Cu-TCPP S-scheme architecture is successfully constructed via the in situ wet chemistry route. Photothermal conversion assists abundant OVs on the CeO2 compartment. Strong evidence of an S-scheme charge transfer path is verified by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and in situ irradiated X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). This S-scheme heterojunction system is more deep-seated in facilitating the separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers as well as acquiring strong photoredox ability. Meanwhile, the abundant OVs proved by XPS and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra (ESR) enhanced the light-harvesting capacity and conductivity and shortened the transfer route. As a result, this synergistic heterojunction could mostly promote photocatalytic CO2 activation. The typical 0.25CeO2@ Cu-NS exhibited the best photocatalytic CO2RR to form CO and CH4 (rate: 229.6 μmol·g–1), which is even 45.8- and 1.5-folds higher than those of pristine LA-CeO2 (5.0 μmol·g–1) and Cu-TCPP (152.2 μmol·g–1), respectively, higher than those of other reported CeO2-based photocatalysts. This study presents a reinforcement and matrix prospect for domain charge behaviors to accelerate CO2 activation.

A Membrane Contactor Enabling Energy-Efficient CO2 Capture from Point Sources with Deep Eutectic Solvents

We demonstrate a scalable and energy-efficient hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC)-based process using a green solvent for CO2 capture. This process uses a deep eutectic solvent (DES) in an HFMC to provide close interfacial interactions and contact between the DES and CO2. This approach overcomes disadvantages associated with direct absorption in DES and could potentially be applied to a variety of solvent-based CO2 capture methods. Commercial low-cost polymer hollow fiber membranes (e.g., microporous polypropylene) were evaluated for CO2 capture with reline, a prototypical DES. Single-gas measurements showed that the DES-based polypropylene HFMC can capture and separate CO2 while rejecting N2. From a mixed gas containing 50 mol % N2 and 50 mol % CO2, the DES-based HFMC separated CO2 with a purity of 96.9 mol %. The effect of several process parameters including solvent flow rate, pressure, and temperature on the CO2 separation performance was studied. The flux of the recovered CO2 was 67.43 mmole/m2/h at a feed pressure of 4 bar. In situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements combined with density functional theory (DFT)-based molecular dynamics simulations revealed that reline absorbs CO2 by physical absorption without forming a new chemical compound, and CO2 separation by reline occurs via the pressure swing mechanism. This research provides fundamental insights about physical solvent-based separation processes and a pathway toward practical deployment.

Facile Synthesis of 2D/2D Ti2C3/ZnIn2S4 Heterostructure for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation.

ZnIn2S4, a novel two-dimensional visible light-responsive photocatalyst, has attracted much attention in the photocatalytic evolution of H2 under visible light irradiation due to its attractive intrinsic photoelectric properties and geometric configuration. However, ZnIn2S4 still has severe charge recombination, which results in moderate photocatalytic performance. Herein, we report the successful synthesis of 2D/2D ZnIn2S4/Ti3C2 nanocomposites by a facile one-step hydrothermal method. The efficiency of the nanocomposites in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation was also evaluated for different ratios of Ti3C2, and the optimal photocatalytic activity was achieved at 5% Ti3C2. Importantly, the activity was significantly higher than that of pure ZnIn2S4, ZnIn2S4/Pt, and ZnIn2S4/graphene. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is mainly due to the close interfacial contact between Ti3C2 and ZnIn2S4 nanosheets, which amplifies the transport of photogenerated electrons and enhances the separation of photogenerated carriers. This research describes a novel approach for the synthesis of 2D MXenes for photocatalytic hydrogen production and expands the utility of MXene composite materials in the fields of energy storage and conversion.

Conjugated electrospinning-made heterostructured TiO2//Bi2WO6 Janus nanofibers for ethanol gas sensing

With the aggravation of the air polluted by harmful gases, gas sensors to detect harmful gases have been widely concerned. Here, novel TiO2//Bi2WO6 Janus nanofibers (JNFs) have been fabricated successfully via a facile conjugated electrospinning, and are further used to manufacture gas sensors to display high selectivity for ethanol gas molecules and fast response and recovery speed. TiO2 and Bi2WO6 on both sides of Janus nanofibers can form unique heterostructures through close interfacial contact, and thus promoting charge transfer and enhancing gas sensing properties of the JNFs. The gas sensor based on a unique heterostructure has great application potential in the field of gas detection.