Piezoelectric-Fenton degradation and mechanism study of Fe2O3/PVDF-HFP porous film drove by flowing water

Piezocatalysis driven by a gentle force possesses broad application prospects for degrading organic pollutants, sterilisation, wound healing and tissue recovery. The flexible and industrially scalable poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) film is commonly used in piezocatalysis. However, under gentle force action, PVDF composite-based piezocatalysis is poor. Herein, a flexible porous film based on poly(vinylidene fluoride)-hexafluoro propylene (PVDF-HFP) is enhanced with Fenton fillers (alpha-Fe2O3 nanoparticles). alpha-Fe2O3 nanoparticles improve the piezoelectric catalysis performance of PVDF-HFP by the beta-phase enhancement and provide Fe3+ to react with H2O2 generated by the piezoelectric film itself, leading to an additional Fenton reaction. Meanwhile, the Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle in the Fenton process accelerates under the piezoelectric field, promoting the Fenton reaction for 6.9% degradation improvement. The study on Fe2O3/PVDF-HFP porous film with the piezo-Fenton reaction under flowing water may help promote new piezocatalysis designs with high efficiency for self-powered environmental purification.

Automated summary

In this study, a flexible porous film based on PVDF-HFP was prepared and its piezoelectric catalysis performance was enhanced using α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles not only improved the piezoelectric properties of the film but also provided Fe3+ to participate in the Fenton reaction with H2O2 generated by the film itself. Meanwhile, the Fenton reaction was accelerated by the piezoelectric field, leading to an improved degradation efficiency.