Highly efficient photocatalytic synthesis of disulfides by a self-assembled CsPbBr3/Ti3C2Tx MXene heterojunction

Abstract

The utilization of solar energy, an inexhaustible resource, to drive photocatalytic oxidation reactions is posited as a viable strategy for mitigating issues such as greenhouse gas emissions stemming from fossil fuel consumption. Given the abundant catalytic sites, superior electrical conductivity and self-supported architecture of MXene nanosheets, herein, we developed heterojunction CsPbBr₃/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanocomposites and realized their application in photocatalytic oxidation of thiols to yield both symmetrical and asymmetrical disulfides with high efficiency (29 700 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹). An efficient excited state charge transfer occurs between CsPbBr₃ NCs and MXene nanosheets, which features exceptional activity and stability. The good performance of these perovskite nanocomposites leads to an economical, sustainable and thus green process for organic synthesis.