Boosting photocatalytic activity of C-F-TiO2 nanosheets derived from in-situ pyrolysis of MXene

Nonmetal doping is widely used in the modification of titanium dioxides (TiO2) for photocatalytic applications. As a typical two-dimensional layered nanomaterial, the excellent physical and chemical properties of MXene materials have been the focus of current research. In this study, carbon and fluorine co-doped MXene derived TiO2 nanosheets (labelled as C-F-TiO2) were successfully synthesized and used as catalysts for degrading 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) under UV light irradiation. The C-F-TiO2 with ultrathin nanosheet structure enhanced light absorption range and decreased the bandgaps. The degradation efficiency of 2,4,6-TCP by C-F-TiO2 was over 99 % in 90 min, and the degradation rate was more than twice that of commercial TiO2. The degradation rate still remained about 90 % in 90 min after five cycles. The results of quenching experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) illustrated that more reactive oxygen species (ROS) were generated in the C-F-TiO2/UV system, which was 1.5 times that of commercial pure TiO2, and •O2– was the dominant ROS for 2,4,6-TCP degradation. This study provided insight to utilize physicochemical characteristics of MXene to synthesize non-metal co-doped TiO2 nanosheet as a catalyst, exhibiting excellent reactivity in the potential application for organic pollutant degradation.