Vapor-Assisted In Situ Synthesis of the NbCTNS/NbOF MXene Heterostructure for Enhanced Solar-Driven Photoelectrochemical Performance.

Photocatalytic water splitting holds great potential for transforming solar energy into valuable chemical products. However, obstacles such as the rapid recombination of electron-hole pairs and insufficiently active surface areas of photocatalysts remain significant challenges. In this study, we present the first demonstration that lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide vapor successfully etches aluminum from NbAlC MAX phase powders while concurrently forming NbOF anchors on NbCT nanosheet (NbCTNS) MXene, leading to the in situ formation of a NbCTNS/NbOF heterostructure composite. This novel material exhibits a remarkable photoelectrochemical performance, achieving a current density of 252 μA cm, which is 1000 and 10 times greater than those of NbAlC MAX and NbC nanosheet MXene, respectively. These findings shed light on innovative approaches for developing photocatalytic materials via vapor-assisted synthesis, offering a promising pathway for advancing material discovery in both photo- and energy-related fields.