Enhanced Piezocatalytic Performance of BaTiO3 Nanosheets with Highly Exposed {001} Facets

Piezocatalysis has gradually come into the limelight due to its great potential for solving energy shortages and environmental pollution problems. However, limited piezocatalytic efficiency is a severe bottleneck for its practical applications. Here, well-defined BaTiO3 nanosheets with highly exposed {001} polar facets are successfully synthesized to enhance the piezocatalytic activity. The [001] piezoelectric polarization can drive the carriers to migrate to the surface along the out-of-plane direction. The polar surface provides abundant active sites for the piezocatalytic reaction. As a result, a superior piezocatalytic degradation ratio of organic pollutants is obtained with a high first-order rate constant k of 0.0835 min(-1), which is 2.7 times higher than the BaTiO3 nanoparticles. Furthermore, BaTiO3 nanosheets display an outstanding H-2 production capability, with the rate of 305 mu mol g(-1) h(-1), which is almost two times higher than that of BaTiO3 nanoparticles. This work thus provides a novel and comprehensive strategy for designing high-performance piezocatalysts with an out-of-plane polarization, and also provides novel insights for the optimization of the piezocatalytic activity by regulating the polar facet of piezocatalysts.

Automated summary

Piezocatalysis has gained attention for its potential in addressing energy shortages and environmental pollution. However, its efficiency is limited. Researchers successfully synthesized BaTiO3 nanosheets with exposed polar facets to enhance piezocatalytic activity. The nanosheets exhibited superior degradation rate of organic pollutants and hydrogen production capability, providing a new strategy for designing high-performance piezocatalysts.