Efficient Degradation of Methylene Blue Using La-PTC-HIna/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene: Adsorption and Photocatalytic Degradation

Isonicotinic acid is a pyridine carboxylic compound that can be used as a linker to construct coordination complexes. Adding isonicotinic acid (HIna) to the metal-organic framework (MOF) enhanced the MOF surface area, pore volume, and pore size and increased its catalytic activity. Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheet with excellent metal conductivity was also employed on MOF to optimize its functionality. This work aims to synthesize MOF modulated isonicotinic acid La-PTC-HIna and design the new materials: La-PTC/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene and La-PTC-HIna/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene hybrid, then apply them for methylene blue photodegradation. La-PTC-HIna, La-PTC/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene, and La-PTC-HIna/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene were synthesized by the sonochemical method. MOF La-PTC-HIna has the highest methylene blue photocatalytic degradation activity than MOF La-PTC, Ti₃C₂T_x MXene, La-PTC/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene, and La-PTC-HIna/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene with degradation efficiency of 99.48% in 20 ppm methylene blue under visible irradiation for 210 min. This study reveals the La-PTC-HIna and La-PTC-HIna/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene as a new material that has the potential to remove methylene blue from an aqueous solution.