Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production of ZnInS by Using Surface-Engineered TiCT MXene As a Cocatalyst

Developing efficient and stable photocatalysts is crucial for photocatalytic hydrogen production. Cocatalyst loading is one of the effective strategies for improving photocatalytic efficiency. Here, TiCT (T = F, OH, O) nanosheets have been adopted as promising cocatalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen production due to their metallic conductivity and unique 2D characterization. In particular, surface functionalized TiC(OH) and TiCO cocatalysts were synthesized through the alkalization treatment with NaOH and a mild oxidation treatment of TiCF, respectively. ZnInS/TiCT composites, which were fabricated by the in-situ growth of ZnInS nanosheets on the TiCT surface, exhibited the promoted photocatalytic performance, compared with the parent ZnInS. The enhanced photocatalytic performance can be further optimized through the surface functionalization of TiCF. As a result, the optimized ZnInS/TiCO composite with oxygen functionalized TiCO cocatalyst demonstrated excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity. The characterizations and density functional theory calculation suggested that O-terminated TiCO could effectively facilitate the transfer and separation of photogenerated electrons and holes due to the formation of a Schottky junction, with the largest difference in work function between ZnInS and TiCO. This work paves the way for photocatalytic applications of MXene-based photocatalysts by tuning their surface termination groups.