Interfacial Self-Assembly-Induced Lattice Distortion in Ti3C2 for Enhanced Piezocatalytic Activity

Herein, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are constructed on the surface of Ti3C2 MXene to improve its environmental stability and piezocatalytic activity. Ti3C2/SAMs-X (X = H, Cl, and NH2) was prepared to enhance the piezocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) and hydrogen production. Surface-treated Ti3C2 exhibits different lattice parameters and symmetry, thus leading to an increased polarization. The presence of polar functional groups in SAMs remarkably increases the surface potential of Ti3C2, thereby promoting the migration of piezoelectric electrons. Ti3C2/SAMs-NH2 exhibits the highest piezocatalytic performance, thus improving BPA removal and H2 generation by 7 and 1.8 times, respectively. In addition, Ti3C2/SAMs-NH2 remained stable under 100% relative humidity for 15 days. Therefore, it provides a facile strategy for modulating piezocatalytic properties through interfacial self-assembly-induced lattice distortion.