Boosting intimate contact and charge transfer between carotenoid dye and Ti3C2Tx MXene for photocatalytic hydrogen production

Developing efficient heterojunction photocatalysts with improved light-harvesting capacity and high charge carrier separation rates for photocatalytic hydrogen production remains a challenge in the field of energy conversion. In this study, we synthesized two-dimensional Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets through HF etching of Ti 3 AlC 2 and combined them with carotenoid dyes ( Car ) with different structural characteristics using a solvent spontaneous volatilization method to construct novel Car @Ti 3 C 2 T x Schottky heterojunctions. The intimate interface contacts between the two-dimensional Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene and Car enhanced the light-harvesting capacity of the photocatalysts and promoted charge separation rates. The optimal sample, Car-3 @Ti 3 C 2 T x nanocomposite, exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity of 84.4 µmol h −1 g −1 for H 2 production under visible light illumination. This work demonstrates the potential of earth-abundant organic Car dyes in constructing high-efficiency and low-cost photocatalysts for hydrogen production .