MXenes-Based Composites and Their Applications in Photocatalysis, Electrocatalysis and Thermocatalysis

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Photocatalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 1149

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Education Ministry Key Lab of Resource Chemistry and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Functional Materials, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
Interests: catalysis technology in the petrochemical and coal chemical industries; resource utilization of chemical waste; catalytic conversion of biomass energy

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Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45500 Ioannina, Greece
Interests: photocatalysis; photolytic processes in the environment; photodegradation pathways; identification of phototransformation products
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Transition metal carbides and/or nitrides of two-dimensional materials, also known as MXenes, are emerging as new advanced materials owing to their unique properties such as high electrical conductivity, hydrophilicity, abundant surface functional groups, and stability. Currently, there are over 40 types of MXenes that can be synthesized in the laboratory. MXenes have found extensive applications in various fields, including catalysis. Two predominant roles of MXenes in catalysis are as catalyst carriers or as catalysts themselves. The photothermal catalytic performance of MXene materials is a critical factor in their multisource energy conversion and catalytic applications. Due to MXene’s remarkable light absorption capacity, it is crucial to explore the contributions of photothermal generation or photocatalytic–thermocatalytic synergistic effects. Of course, MXenes have demonstrated remarkable electrocatalytic performance in hydrogen production. Moreover, MXenes exhibit promising applications in thermal catalysis, such as dehydrogenation and oxidation.

This Special Issue, entitled ‘MXenes-Based Composites and Their Applications in Photocatalysis, Electrocatalysis and Thermocatalysis’, will focus on the latest research progress of MXenes-based composites as catalyst materials in the field of catalysis. Manuscripts from a wide range of important topics related to catalysts, reactors, and processes are welcome. It is of great significance to promote their applications in the field of sustainable energy and environmental remediation.

Prof. Dr. Hui Li
Prof. Dr. Ioannis Konstantinou
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • MXenes
  • catalysts
  • photocatalysis
  • electrocatalysis
  • thermocatalysis
  • catalytic mechanisms

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 11588 KiB  
Article
One-Step Carbonization of Monosaccharide and Dicyandiamide to Oxygen and Nitrogen Co-Doped Carbon Nanosheets for Electrocatalytic O2 Reduction to H2O2
by Dan Wang, Yanan Liu, Kun Wan, Danning Feng, Yan Pei, Minghua Qiao, Xiaoxin Zhang and Baoning Zong
Catalysts 2025, 15(5), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15050459 - 7 May 2025
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Abstract
The electrocatalytic reduction of O2 via two-electron reaction (2e-ORR) to H2O2 represents a promising alternative to the current anthraquinone process, since it is advantageous in the sustainable and decentralized production of H2O2. Herein, we report [...] Read more.
The electrocatalytic reduction of O2 via two-electron reaction (2e-ORR) to H2O2 represents a promising alternative to the current anthraquinone process, since it is advantageous in the sustainable and decentralized production of H2O2. Herein, we report the development of oxygen and nitrogen-rich few-layered graphene-like materials (ms-dcda) by the one-step carbonization of biomass-sourced monosaccharides (D-glucose, D-fructose, D-galactose, D-ribose, D-xylose, L-arabinose, and D-mannose) with the aid of dicyandiamide for electrochemical O2 reduction to H2O2. The ms-dcda materials were porous and possessed wrinkled morphology typical of graphene nanosheets. In H2O2 production via 2e-ORR in an acidic electrolyte, these ms-dcda materials were all active and stable catalysts, among which glu-dcda derived from D-glucose and dicyandiamide displayed the lowest onset potential of 0.553 V and the highest selectivity of up to 91.6%. The catalyst was also highly stable in chronoamperometric tests. Selective chemical titration of the C–OH and C=O groups revealed that the latter is far more active and selective than the former in 2e-ORR. Moreover, a positive correlation between the contents of C=O and pyrrolic N and the H2O2 partial current suggests that the pyrrolic N group also contributes to 2e-ORR. This work affords a facile strategy for the sustainable fabrication of metal-free carbon-based catalysts efficient for H2O2 electrosynthesis. Full article
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18 pages, 4287 KiB  
Article
Plasma–Liquid Synthesis of Titanium- and Molybdenum-Containing MXenes and Their Photocatalytic Properties
by Nikolay Sirotkin, Anna Khlyustova, Valeriya Shibaeva and Alexander Agafonov
Catalysts 2025, 15(5), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15050445 - 2 May 2025
Viewed by 437
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that underwater low-temperature plasma is effective for synthesizing nanomaterials by generating plasma discharges between metal electrodes submerged in water. This study extends this approach to the one-step synthesis of MXenes containing titanium, molybdenum, and titanium–molybdenum composites through pulsed discharges [...] Read more.
Previous studies have demonstrated that underwater low-temperature plasma is effective for synthesizing nanomaterials by generating plasma discharges between metal electrodes submerged in water. This study extends this approach to the one-step synthesis of MXenes containing titanium, molybdenum, and titanium–molybdenum composites through pulsed discharges in carbon tetrachloride, an oxygen-free, non-flammable solvent characterized by a high boiling point and low permittivity. By employing titanium and molybdenum electrodes in various configurations, three MXene samples were synthesized: Ti2CTX, Mo2CTX, and Mo2TiC2TX. Characterization techniques, including UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, confirmed the successful synthesis of high-purity MXenes with distinct structural and optical properties. Notably, the bandgap values of the synthesized MXenes were determined as 1.71 eV for Ti2CTX, 1.42 eV for Mo2TiC2TX, and 1.07 eV for Mo2CTX. The photocatalytic performance of the synthesized MXenes was evaluated, showing a removal efficiency of 65% to 98% for dye mixtures, with methylene blue showing the highest degradation rate. This plasma-assisted method offers a scalable, precursor-free route for the synthesis of MXenes with potential applications in energy storage, environmental remediation, and optoelectronics due to their tunable bandgaps and high catalytic activity. Full article
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