Unlocking the potential of multifunctional and highly porous Ti3C2/TiO2@Bi2O3 – based MXene: Synergetic photocatalytic activation of peroxymonosulfate, hydrogen evolution and antimicrobial activity

A novel and efficient solar light responsive multi layered highly porous MXene-based Ti3C2/TiO2@Bi2O3 photocatalyst was synthesized by hydro/solvothermal technique. The optimized band gap (2.09 eV), high surface area (28.39 m2/g), schottky and p-n junctions remarkably enhanced the effectiveness of TTB20 in the solar region. The degradation of sulfadiazine (SDZ) by TTB20 under solar light was enhanced from 76.60 % to 97.40 % when coupled with 0.5 mM peroxymonosulfate (HSO5–) at an irradiation time of 30 min. The radical scavenging investigations indicated that SO4•−, O2•− and h+ are primarily engaged in photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the TTB20 sample showed promising activity against E-coli. In addition, the TTB20 sample displayed a remarkable 4.15-fold higher photocatalytic H2 evolution rate than the TTB0 sample. Thus, the present study suggests that TTB20/HSO5–/solar light is an auspicious approach for addressing environmental pollution, health issues and energy crises.