Facile synthesis of heterojunction of MXenes/TiO nanoparticles towards enhanced hexavalent chromium removal.

Increasing the surface area and active sites of adsorbent for hexavalent chromium removal in water is considered an effective and efficient way to enhance reduction and adsorption performance. Here 2D/0D heterojunction of TiC MXenes/TiO nanoparticles with different amounts of TiO were synthesized using a one-step hydrothermal method and the reduction and adsorption of Cr (VI) at different pH values of composite material were analyzed. The results show that the TiC/TiO composite material allows significantly enhanced removal ability of toxic Cr (VI) in water, compared to pure TiC nanosheets. The effective removal of Cr (VI) in water was 99.35%. The TiC/TiO composite can not only rapidly and efficiently remove Cr (VI) from potassium dichromate solution by reducing Cr (VI) to Cr (III), but simultaneously adsorbs the reduced Cr (III). Therefore, the 2D/0D heterojunction of TiC MXenes/TiO nanoparticles has potential application prospects in the reduction adsorption of Cr (VI).