Construction of a multifunctional MXene@β-cyclodextrin nanocomposite with photocatalytic properties

Abstract

AbstractDesigning a multimodal photocatalyst material with enhanced optical properties and surface area is among the important methods for removing dangerous organic contaminants under visible light irradiation. A simple synthetic method was used to electrostatically fabricate well-defined WO3 nanoparticles in and over Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets to form a 2D/2D hybrid with varying Ti3C2 contents (1–5 wt %). These nanoparticles were then bifunctionally linked with beta-cyclodextrin to create a WO3-Ti3C2@-CD nanocomposite. The as-synthesized WO3-Ti3C2@β-CD nanocomposite shows significantly enhanced optical properties such as low band gap and high absorption intensity. Also, shows photocatalytic properties such as decreased charge carriers (3.70 × 1019 cm−3 for 5% WO3-Ti3C2@ β-CD nanocomposite compared to 2.25 × 1020 cm−3 for pristine WO3). Photoelectrochemical properties were improved for the nanocomposite, such as photoinduced carriers’ separation, and transfer ability, and this could mean that the high conductivity of Ti3C2 and a large surface area between WO3 and Ti3C2 MXene that interacts to promote the separation of charges and boost reactive sites that are crucial for increasing the photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite. Various characterization techniques analysis such as XRD and TEM further verified the interfacial interaction between WO3, Ti3C2, and beta-cyclodextrin and actively encouraged the spatial charge separation. Additionally, this work creates opportunities for building a versatile and reliable MXene-based photocatalyst for water purification. Graphical Abstract