Ti3C2Tx MXene coupled with CdS for enhanced photocatalytic H2 production

Harvesting solar energy to drive highly efficient photocatalytic conversion of renewable biomass to value-added chemicals and H 2, is a green and promising strategy to acquire clean H 2 with high energy density. In this study, CdS nanoparticles/Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets (Ti 3 C 2 T x /CdS composites) photocatalysts were prepared by a hydrothermal strategy. With an optimized Ti 3 C 2 T x loading of 0.8 wt%, the Ti 3 C 2 T x /CdS composites exhibited a significant enhancement in the photocatalytic H 2 evolution reaction with long-term stability, reaching 20,427 μmol·g −1 ·h −1 , compared to the pristine CdS (1,999 μmol·g −1 ·h −1 ). The Ti 3 C 2 T x /CdS-0.8 reflects appropriate electronic band structure and excellent conductivity, resulting in efficiently generation and migration of photoinduced electrons. In addition, the apparent quantum yield of Ti 3 C 2 T x /CdS-0.8 was 9.4% at 420 nm, higher than that of pristine CdS (1.2%). Superior results (7,164 μmol·h −1 ·g −1 ) were also achieved in the conversion of raw biomass to H 2 under natural sunlight. Achieving solar-driven H 2 production from biomass represents a significant step forward in contributing to sustainable and clean energy practices.