Hierarchically engineered rose-petal-like CoMoO4 immobilized on V2CTx MXene nanosheets: a potent multi-responsive nano-catalyst for wastewater remediation and intensified piezo-modulated electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Abstract

Developing multifunctional catalysts that integrate environmental remediation with sustainable energy generation remains a significant challenge. Here, a rose-petal-like CoMoO4 nanostructure anchored on conductive V2CTx MXene is engineered via a facile hydrothermal synthesis route to construct a dual-functional catalytic platform. The strong interfacial interaction between CoMoO4 and V2CTx MXene enables rapid charge transfer and efficient charge separation. Under mechanical stimulation, piezoelectric polarization induces dynamic charge modulation, significantly enhancing both piezo-catalytic degradation of carcinogenic pollutants (RhB) and electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution (HER) in alkaline medium. The optimized V2CTx-CoMoO4 composite exhibits an overpotential of 67 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 with a Tafel slope of 92 mV dec-1 under ultrasonic vibration, indicating enhanced HER kinetics. In addition, the composite achieves a maximum degradation efficiency of 93.33% for RhB with a rate constant of 0.01103 min-1. The resulting piezoelectric-electrocatalytic synergy accelerates electron transfer kinetics and lowers the overpotential. These independently assessed findings highlight the catalyst's dual functionality in wastewater remediation and sustainable hydrogen production, offering a new design strategy for next-generation energy-efficient, environmentally friendly catalytic systems.

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