Synergistic enhancement of hydrogen peroxide generation: WO3 photocatalyst modified with MXene and Au nanoparticles under visible light†

A novel composite material composed of WO₃, Ti₃C₂T_x MXene, and Au for the photocatalytic formation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is introduced here. Through optimization, the ideal MXene and Au concentrations were determined to be both 0.5%. And after loading Au and MXene the amount of H₂O₂ generated increases to 7.52 mg L⁻¹ at pH 3, which is a remarkable 21.5-fold increase. Quenching experiments unequivocally revealed identified ·O₂⁻ as the predominant intermediate product, indicating a two-stage, single-electron indirect mechanism. Enhanced effectiveness for H₂O₂ synthesis is ascribed to the synergistic impact of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene and gold, enhancing charge transfer efficiency while impeding the recombination of these electron–hole pairs.