2D Nanostructured MXene-Based Silver Nanoparticles for Photocatalytic Degradation of Safranin Dye
Muhammad Faheem, Asim Riaz, Manawwer Alam, Faiza Wahad, Manzar Sohail, Muhammad Altaf, Syed Mustansar Abbas
Abstract
Due to their unique chemical structure, MXenes have been recognized as a potential material, having a high surface area, high thermal and electrical conductivity, and a tunable band gap, showing great hydrophilicity and stability. The adsorption and reducing properties of MXene-based 2D nanomaterials make them efficient photocatalysts for degrading organic pollutants. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized over the exfoliated MXene sheets (1:50 and 1:20 by weight to silver salt) using polyvinyl pyrrolidone as a dispersant. The elemental composition and morphology of the nanocatalysts Ag20@Ti3C2Tx and Ag50@Ti3C2Tx were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). FESEM micrographs reveal porous exfoliated Ti3C2Tx sheets obtained by continuously stirring Ti3AlC2 for 44 h at 60 °C, providing a platform for the growth of Ag nanoparticles. Diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) indicates that the bare silver nanoparticles show a decrease in the band gap value from 2.4 to 1.35 and 1.41 eV in Ag50@Ti3C2Tx and Ag20@Ti3C2Tx, respectively, which enables the nanocomposites to show excellent catalytic performance and degrade around 99% of safranin dye within 15 min at a concentration of 5 mg Ag50@Ti3C2Tx.