Ti₃C₂T_x 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 H₂ with high energy density. In this study, CdS nanoparticles/Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets (Ti₃C₂T_x/CdS composites) photocatalysts were prepared by a hydrothermal strategy. With an optimized Ti₃C₂T_x loading of 0.8 wt%, the Ti₃C₂T_x/CdS composites exhibited a significant enhancement in the photocatalytic H₂ 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 Ti₃C₂T_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 Ti₃C₂T_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 H₂ under natural sunlight. Achieving solar-driven H₂ production from biomass represents a significant step forward in contributing to sustainable and clean energy practices.