Construction of a multifunctional MXene@β-cyclodextrin nanocomposite with photocatalytic properties

Designing a multimodal photocatalyst material with enhanced optical properties and surface area is among the important methods for removing dangerous organic contaminants under visible light irradiation. A simple synthetic method was used to electrostatically fabricate well-defined WO₃ nanoparticles in and over Ti₃C₂ MXene nanosheets to form a 2D/2D hybrid with varying Ti₃C₂ contents (1–5 wt %). These nanoparticles were then bifunctionally linked with beta-cyclodextrin to create a WO₃-Ti₃C₂@-CD nanocomposite. The as-synthesized WO₃-Ti₃C₂@β-CD nanocomposite shows significantly enhanced optical properties such as low band gap and high absorption intensity. Also, shows photocatalytic properties such as decreased charge carriers (3.70 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³ for 5% WO₃-Ti₃C₂@ β-CD nanocomposite compared to 2.25 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³ for pristine WO₃). Photoelectrochemical properties were improved for the nanocomposite, such as photoinduced carriers’ separation, and transfer ability, and this could mean that the high conductivity of Ti₃C₂ and a large surface area between WO₃ and Ti₃C₂ MXene that interacts to promote the separation of charges and boost reactive sites that are crucial for increasing the photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite. Various characterization techniques analysis such as XRD and TEM further verified the interfacial interaction between WO₃, Ti₃C₂, and beta-cyclodextrin and actively encouraged the spatial charge separation. Additionally, this work creates opportunities for building a versatile and reliable MXene-based photocatalyst for water purification. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]