Cabrero-Antonino María, Uscategui-Linares Andrés, Ramírez-Grau Rubén, García-Aznar Pablo, Sastre German, Zhang Jianjun, Goberna-Ferrón Sara, Albero Josep, Yu Jiaguo, García Hermenegildo, Xu Feiyan, Primo Ana
Instituto de Tecnología Química, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, Av. De los Naranjos s/n, Valencia, 46022, Spain.
Laboratory of Solar Fuel, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, 68 Jincheng Street, Wuhan, 430078, P.R. China.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2025 Jul;64(29):e202503860. doi: 10.1002/anie.202503860. Epub 2025 Jun 1.
Harnessing sunlight for photocatalytic overall water splitting offers a sustainable approach to renewable hydrogen (H) production, addressing global energy and environmental challenges. However, the development of efficient and durable photocatalysts remains a significant obstacle. This study introduces the design and performance of a 2D/2D Schottky heterojunction composed of Cu[CuTCPP] MOF of nanometric size and exfoliated TiC MXene for visible-light-driven overall water splitting. By leveraging the extensive interfacial contact between the two components, an interfacial electric field is generated, promoting efficient charge migration and prolonging carrier lifetimes, as confirmed through systematic density functional theory simulations, in situ irradiation X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. TiC MXene, acting as a cocatalyst for photohole transport and accumulation, reduces oxidative degradation and slows catalyst deactivation. The synergistically enhanced light absorption properties of the Cu[CuTCPP]/TiC heterojunction result in an impressive H evolution rate exceeding 5000 µmol g⁻, underscoring its potential for next-generation photocatalytic systems in renewable energy applications.
