Synthesis, mechanisms, challenges, and future prospects of Ti₃C₂ MXene and its heterojunctions for photocatalytic dye degradation efficiency: a comprehensive review

In recent years, significant attention has been given to developing novel two-dimensional (2D) materials, including MXenes. Titanium carbide (Ti₃C₂) is one such MXene with a bandgap ranging from 0.92 eV to 1.75 eV. MXenes possess unique physical and chemical properties that make them useful in various applications, including electrocatalysis, supercapacitors, semiconductors, batteries, sensing, biomedicine, water splitting, and photocatalysis. Research on environmental photocatalysis has focused on enhancing properties such as high conductivity, structural stability, and morphology. However, a single catalytic material may not be sufficient to achieve high catalytic efficiency. Hence, there is a need to modify MXenes. This review provides an overview of the various synthesis methods of MXene and their remarkable properties. It also discusses recent advances in MXene composites and catalytic mechanisms for dye degradation. To improve the catalytic performance of MXene, a heterojunction and Schottky junction are proposed.