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Construction of 0D/2D Schottky Heterojunctions of ZnO and Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub> Nanosheets with the Enriched Transfer of Interfacial Charges for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
oleh: Muhammad Irfan, Irshad Ahmad, Shazia Shukrullah, Humaira Hussain, Muhammad Atif, Stanislaw Legutko, Jana Petru, Michal Hatala, Muhammad Yasin Naz, Saifur Rahman
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2022-06-01 |
Deskripsi
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 Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>, were successfully synthesized by the electrostatic self-assembling of ZnO nanoparticles on Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub> nanosheets. In constructing these heterojunctions, Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub> 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/Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub> 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/Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub> composite promoted the formation of excitons and reactive sites on the photocatalyst’s surface. The ZnO/Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub> 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/Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub> composition with 30 wt.% of Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>, 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 Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub> as a low-cost co-catalyst.