Mechanistic exploration of interfacial electron transfer in CQDs@MXene heterostructure for visible light photocatalytic reduction.

CQDs@Ti3C2Tx MXene heterostructures form electron-accumulated interfacial regions where CQDs act as electron reservoirs, enabling rapid visible-light reduction of aqueous pollutants within 5 min.

• Why it matters: Efficient visible-light photocatalytic reduction depends on understanding how electrons redistribute and move across CQDs–MXene interfaces, which remains unclear for 0D–2D heterostructures.
• What they did: CQDs were chemically anchored onto Ti3C2Tx MXene to build CQDs@MXene, then DFT mapped electron transfer from MXene to CQDs’ surface functional groups; photocatalysis tested methylene blue, methyl orange, p-nitrophenol, and hexavalent chromium.
• The result: CQDs@MXene efficiently collected and delivered both visible-light photoexcited electrons and NaBH4-supplied electrons, clarifying electron accumulation, migration, and delivery across the heterointerface for fast contaminant reduction.

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