MXene/g-C3N4 planar heterostructures with efficient charge carrier transport for NO removal and benzene conversion

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials provide tunable electronic structures and high interfacial accessibility for photo-assisted electrochemical architectures relevant to next-generation power systems. This study examines whether constructing 2D/2D Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene/g-C 3 N 4 heterostructures can overcome interfacial charge-migration bottlenecks and strengthen solar-driven redox processes important for hybrid photoelectrochemical energy technologies. Few-layered Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene nanosheets are produced through temperature-controlled etching and sonication, then integrated with ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 via mechanochemical treatment and solvothermal assembly to yield planar heterostructures. Structural analyses reveal continuous lattice-level contact without a discernible interface, indicating suppressed defect formation and accelerated transport of photoinduced carriers. The heterostructures exhibit broadened visible light absorption, enlarged accessible surface area, and increased densities of redox-active sites. Under visible irradiation, the optimized MXene/g-C 3 N 4 system shows markedly enhanced oxidation performance, achieving 58.1% NO conversion with only 5.1% NO 2 selectivity, and at higher MXene loadings, 94.4% benzene conversion with 99.9% phenol selectivity. These results establish a distinct MXene-based 2D/2D heterostructure platform that effectively couples photogenerated charge separation with interfacial redox activity, offering a practical design strategy for photo-assisted catalytic components in emerging solar-integrated power technologies.