Zero-Dimensional/Two-Dimensional Schottky Junction of Mn<sub>0.5</sub>Cd<sub>0.5</sub>S/Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub> MXene Induces Rapid Electron Transfer and Enrichment for Boosting Photocatalytic H<sub>2</sub> Production Activity
Yue Zhang, Zhe Zhang, Qiancheng Li, Xinglong Gao, Qifang Lu, Enyan Guo, Conghui Si, Mingzhi Wei
Abstract
Efficient charge separation and transfer in photocatalytic systems continuously enable better water splitting for clean H 2 evolution. Herein, a feasible in situ growth hydrothermal strategy by coupling an ultrathin Ti 3 C 2 (TC) MXene nanosheet electron acceptor with a Mn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S (MCS) nanoparticle donor is introduced to construct a multifunctional donor–acceptor MCS/TC photocatalyst with a strong Schottky junction toward green and sustainable photocatalytic H 2 production. The strong Schottky junction realizes a rapid carrier directional separation and transportation. The ultrathin TC nanosheets, as an electron acceptor to catalyze proton reduction, can promote the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs and provide rich active sites for photocatalytic hydrogen production. Moreover, the optimal MCS/TC-10 (10 wt % TC) photocatalyst provides a highly stable photocatalytic H 2 activity, up to 3730 μmol h –1 g –1, which is 9 times higher than that of Mn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S solid solution. This work will inspire the development of design principles for accelerating charge transfer for efficient photocatalytic green H 2 production.