Photocatalytic water splitting holds great potential for transforming solar energy into valuable chemical products. However, obstacles such as the rapid recombination of electron–hole pairs and insufficiently active surface areas of photocatalysts remain significant challenges. In this study, we present the first demonstration that lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide vapor successfully etches aluminum from Nb₂AlC MAX phase powders while concurrently forming NbO₂F anchors on Nb₂CT_x nanosheet (Nb₂CT_xNS) MXene, leading to the in situ formation of a Nb₂CT_xNS/NbO₂F heterostructure composite. This novel material exhibits a remarkable photoelectrochemical performance, achieving a current density of 252 μA cm^–2, which is 1000 and 10 times greater than those of Nb₂AlC MAX and Nb₂C nanosheet MXene, respectively. These findings shed light on innovative approaches for developing photocatalytic materials via vapor-assisted synthesis, offering a promising pathway for advancing material discovery in both photo- and energy-related fields.

中文翻译：

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Nb2CTxNS/NbO2F MXene 异质结构的蒸汽辅助原位合成以增强太阳能驱动的光电化学性能


光催化分解水具有将太阳能转化为有价值的化学产品的巨大潜力。然而，电子-空穴对的快速复合和光催化剂活性表面积不足等障碍仍然是重大挑战。在这项研究中，我们首次证明了锂双（三氟甲烷磺酰基）酰亚胺成功地从 Nb₂AlC MAX 相粉末中蚀刻铝，同时在 Nb₂CT_x 纳米片 （Nb₂CT_xNS） MXene 上形成 NbO₂F 锚定，导致原位形成 Nb₂CT_xNS/NbO₂F 异质结构复合材料。这种新型材料表现出卓越的光电化学性能，电流密度达到 252 μA cm^–2，分别是 Nb₂AlC MAX 和 Nb₂C 纳米片 MXene 的 1000 倍和 10 倍。这些发现揭示了通过蒸汽辅助合成开发光催化材料的创新方法，为推进光和能源相关领域的材料发现提供了一条有前途的途径。