The integration of Ti3C2 MXene with BiPO4 and Ag nanoparticles has emerged as a groundbreaking strategy for enhancing photocatalytic CO2 reduction efficiency. Recent studies demonstrate that the Ti3C2/BiPO4/Ag composite achieves a CO production rate of 128.7 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ under visible light irradiation, a 3.5-fold increase compared to pristine BiPO4 (36.8 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹). This enhancement is attributed to the synergistic effects of Ti3C2's high conductivity, BiPO4's strong oxidative potential, and Ag's surface plasmon resonance (SPR), which collectively improve charge separation and light absorption. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the work function difference between Ti3C2 (-4.2 eV) and BiPO4 (-6.8 eV) facilitates electron transfer, reducing recombination losses by 67%.
The role of Ag nanoparticles in the composite extends beyond SPR effects, as they act as catalytic hotspots for CO2 activation. Experimental data show that the Ag loading of 3 wt% optimizes CO2 adsorption capacity to 1.23 mmol g⁻¹, significantly higher than the 0.45 mmol g⁻¹ observed in Ti3C2/BiPO4 alone. In situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirms the formation of key intermediates such as *COOH and *CO, with reaction barriers reduced by 42% due to Ag's presence. Furthermore, the composite exhibits exceptional stability, retaining 92% of its initial activity after 50 hours of continuous operation, as confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis.
The hierarchical structure of Ti3C2/BiPO4/Ag plays a pivotal role in maximizing light utilization efficiency. The composite's specific surface area (SSA) of 187 m² g⁻¹ provides abundant active sites for CO2 adsorption and photoreduction. Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurements reveal an average carrier lifetime of 8.7 ns, nearly double that of BiPO4 alone (4.5 ns), indicating enhanced charge separation efficiency. Additionally, the composite's bandgap is tuned to 2.45 eV via interfacial engineering, enabling efficient absorption across the visible spectrum (>420 nm). This results in a quantum yield (QY) of 12.8%, surpassing most reported photocatalysts for CO2 reduction.
The environmental impact and scalability of Ti3C2/BiPO4/Ag composites have been rigorously evaluated through life cycle assessment (LCA). The synthesis process consumes only 1.8 kWh per gram of catalyst, with a carbon footprint of 0.45 kg CO₂ eq/g, making it competitive with industrial-scale photocatalysts like TiO₂-based systems (0.52 kg CO₂ eq/g). Pilot-scale testing demonstrates a production capacity of 1.5 kg per batch with consistent performance metrics (±5% variation), highlighting its potential for large-scale deployment.
Future research directions focus on optimizing the composite's performance under real-world conditions, including low-intensity sunlight and ambient CO₂ concentrations (~400 ppm). Preliminary results show a CO production rate of 58.3 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ under simulated solar irradiation (AM1.5G), which is promising for practical applications.
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