Construction of 0D/2D Schottky Heterojunctions of ZnO and Ti3C2 Nanosheets with the Enriched Transfer of Interfacial Charges for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

• Published in: Materials Vol. 15; no. 13; p. 4557
• Main Authors: Irfan, Muhammad, Ahmad, Irshad, Shukrullah, Shazia, Hussain, Humaira, Atif, Muhammad, Legutko, Stanislaw, Petru, Jana, Hatala, Michal, Naz, Muhammad Yasin, Rahman, Saifur
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 28.06.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: 0D/2D heterojunction; Catalysts; Catalytic activity; Efficiency; Electrodes; Electrolytes; Energy conversion; Ethanol; Excitons; Fossil fuels; Heterojunctions; Hydrogen; Hydrogen evolution; Hydrogen production; Light; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanosheets; Photocatalysis; photocatalytic activity; Recyclability; Self-assembly; Semiconductors; Spectrum analysis; Ti3C2; Titanium; Zinc oxide; Zinc oxides; ZnO; United States > US; Japan
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma15134557

The development of cost-effective co-catalysts of high photocatalytic activity and recyclability is still a challenge in the energy transformation domain. In this study, 0D/2D Schottky heterojunctions, consisting of 0D ZnO and 2D Ti3C2, were successfully synthesized by the electrostatic self-assembling of ZnO nanoparticles on Ti3C2 nanosheets. In constructing these heterojunctions, Ti3C2 nanosheets acted as a co-catalyst for enhancing the transfer of excitons and their separation to support the photocatalytic response of ZnO. The as-prepared ZnO/Ti3C2 composites demonstrate an abbreviated charge transit channel, a huge interfacial contact area and the interfacial electrons’ transport potential. The extended optical response and large reactive area of the ZnO/Ti3C2 composite promoted the formation of excitons and reactive sites on the photocatalyst’s surface. The ZnO/Ti3C2 Schottky heterojunction showed significantly high photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production from a water–ethanol solution under the light illumination in the visible region. The hydrogen evolution overoptimized the ZnO/Ti3C2 composition with 30 wt.% of Ti3C2, which was eight times higher than the pristine ZnO. These findings can be helpful in developing 0D/2D heterojunction systems for photocatalytic applications by utilizing Ti3C2 as a low-cost co-catalyst.