Enhanced ferromagnetic and photocatalytic properties of Mn-doped KNbO₃-Nb₂C composites

Nb₂C MXene, an emerging two-dimensional transition-metal carbide nanomaterial, has attracted attention due to its enhanced surface area, low toxicity, high electrical and mechanical properties, and environmental compatibility. However, due to their electronic structure and surface chemistry limiting their intrinsic ferromagnetic and photocatalytic properties, it is encouraging to integrate MXene with other functional materials for improved properties. In this study, we introduce Mn-doped KNbO₃ (Mn-KN) onto Nb₂C MXene nanosheets, to enhance their ferromagnetism and photocatalytic properties. XRD, SEM, EDS, and XPS were done to verify the structure and the successful doping of Mn doped KNbO₃ on MXene nanosheets. The vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis demonstrated that at lower concentration, the MXene based nanohybrids exhibited weak ferromagnetism. However, upon increasing the Mn doped KNbO₃ content, the ferromagnetism of the nanohybrids increased. A photocatalysis experiment was conducted to degrade pharmaceutical waste under UV light. The nanohybrid removed pollutants at rates of almost 70% and 40%, respectively. The results show that the nanohybrids exhibit enhanced ferromagnetic and photocatalytic properties compared to pure KNbO₃ and Nb₂C MXene, and can be used in energy storage devices (such as memristors or spintronics devices) and wastewater treatment.