Seminář ÚFE: Mgr. Július Vida

Mgr. Július Vida: "Enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene with anatase nanoparticles formed by oxidation in atmospheric pressure oxygen plasma"

Composites of anatase TiO₂ and Ti₃C₂T_x MXenes have garnered attention because of the superior photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ and the remarkable electrical conductivity of MXene. Such composites have in the past been prepared via several methods requiring elevated temperatures. Developing a production process for similar materials at room temperature could be beneficial for applications in flexible and printed electronics.

Herein, we present a surface treatment method based on the exposure of the Ti₃C₂T_x MXene coating to the plasma of a dielectric barrier discharge with oxygen as the working gas. Plasma contains reactive species that react with the material, causing the formation of anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles on disordered graphitic carbon sheets within seconds of treatment.

The oxidation of the surface was studied in detail using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The formation of anatase was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the morphological changes induced by plasma to elucidate the mechanism of TiO₂ formation. Measurements of photocatalytic activity revealed improved performance of plasma treated samples. Since the plasma is operated at temperatures below 70 °C, this result allows for experimentation with plasma-treated MXene prepared on temperature-sensitive substrates for applications in flexible and printed electronics.