Enhancement of piezocatalytic activity at the ferro-paraelectric phase transition of Ba1-xSrxTiO3 nanopowders. (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wu, J.; Qin, N.; Lin, E.Z.; Kang, Z.H.; Bao, D.H.
• Is Part Of: Materials today energy. Volume 21(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: Piezocatalysis -- Nanocrystalline -- Dye degradation -- Curie temperature; Energy development -- Periodicals; Energy industries -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; Energy policy -- Periodicals; Energy development; Energy industries; Energy policy; Power resources; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtener.2021.100732
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2468-6069

Abstract

Abstract: Nanocrystalline Ba1- x Sr x TiO3 ( x = 0–0.3) powders were investigated with special interest in their piezocatalytic performance for degradation of organic pollutants. A great improvement of piezocatalytic activity was obtained for the compositions x = 0.2, in which the polarization shows a large change under external stress. Furthermore, with the increase of working environment temperature, the piezocatalytic performance of Ba0.8 Sr0.2 TiO3 increases firstly and then decreases, giving the best piezocatalytic performance near its Curie temperature. For a better understanding of the piezocatalytic mechanism, the dynamics of charge carriers transfer on solid/liquid interface was discussed with respect to activation energy and overpotential of catalyst. It was suggested that the enhanced piezocatalytic activity of Ba1- x Sr x TiO3 comes from two aspects: (1) the overpotential provided by the piezoelectric effect decreases with the increasing Sr content, (2) the activation energy for the piezocatalytic reaction is greatly reduced at ferro-paraelectric phase transition. Combination of these two aspects gives rise to the nonlinear dependence of piezocatalytic activity on Sr content. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: The piezocatalytic performance of the Ba1- x Sr x TiO3 nano-powders was investigated. Ba0.8 Sr0.2 TiO3 exhibits the most excellent piezocatalytic activity near the ferro-paraelectric phase transition. The relationship between piezocatalytic activity and ferro-paraelectric phase transition was discussed.