Enhanced Electron Transfer via the Interface Engineering of MoS2/MXene for Uranium Reduction and Organic Pollutants Degradation under Sunlight

Photocatalytic methods are extensively used in the treatment of uranium-containing wastewater. However, the reduction of uranium in natural sunlight remains a central challenge. This work proposed a MoS₂ nanoflower-coupled Ti₃C₂ MXene reduction cocatalyst for bifunctional catalytic systems to remove U(VI) and degrade organic pollutants under natural sunlight. Advanced spectral characterization showed that MoS₂/Ti₃C₂ had excellent photogenerated carrier transfer and light absorption capabilities. The experimental results show that when uranium and organic pollutants coexist, the removal rate of uranium is as high as 99%, and no sacrificial agents or inert gases are involved in this process. Further, theoretical calculations demonstrate that the bond behavior in the MoS₂/Ti₃C₂ composites combines covalent bonds and ionic bonds, and about 0.497 electrons are transferred from Ti₃C₂ to the MoS₂ monolayer. Two possible random adsorption interaction scenarios of [UO₂·(H₂O)₅]²⁺ on MoS₂/Ti₃C₂ composites are revealed meaningfully. The efficient removal of uranium and organic pollutants under real sunlight confirms the significant potential of the bifunctional photocatalyst for practical applications in radioactive wastewater.