Boosting photocatalytic CO 2 reduction via Schottky junction with ZnCr layered double hydroxide nanoflakes aggregated on 2D Ti 3 C 2 T x cocatalyst

• Published in: Nanoscale Vol. 14; no. 20; pp. 7538 - 7546
• Main Authors: Zhou, Boye, Yang, Yong, Liu, Zhengchu, Wu, Niandu, Yan, Yuxiang, Wenhua, Zhao, He, Huichao, Du, Jun, Zhang, Yongcai, Zhou, Yong, Zou, Zhigang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 26.05.2022
• ISSN: 2040-3364; 2040-3372
• DOI: 10.1039/D2NR01448C

Designing efficient photocatalysts is vital for the photoreduction of CO to produce solar fuels, helping to alleviate issues of fossil fuel depletion and global warming. In this work, a novel ZnCr-LDH/Ti C T Schottky junction is successfully synthesized using an coprecipitation method. ZnCr-LDH nanoflakes collectively grow on the surface of Ti C T MXene nanosheets. When using Ti C T MXene as a cocatalyst in the prepared heterojunction, the light absorption intensity, photo-induced electron separation and migration efficiency increase. As a result, the composite ZnCr-LDH/Ti C T results in significant improvement in the performance of photocatalytic CO reduction under simulated solar irradiation. The optimized sample ZCTC25 has the highest photocatalytic CO reduction rates of 122.45 μmol g CO and 19.95 μmol g CH (after 6 h of irradiation). These values are approximately 2.65 times higher than those of pristine ZnCr-LDH. The product selectivity towards CO is 86%. This work provides a new method for the construction of novel 2D semiconductor photocatalysts and enriches the application of an unusual type of layered double hydroxides in the photoreduction of CO .