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Journal of Advanced Ceramics 2023, 12(9): 1685-1700 https://doi.org/10.26599/JAC.2023.9220758
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 12 June 2023

SnFe2O4/ZnIn2S4/PVDF piezophotocatalyst with improved photocatalytic hydrogen production by synergetic effects of heterojunction and piezoelectricity

Show Author's Information Ping Sua,  Dezhi Konga,  Huaihao Zhaoa,  Shangkun Lia,  Dafeng Zhanga( ),  Xipeng Pua( ),  Changhua Sua,  Peiqing Caib
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong Key Laboratory of Chemical Energy Storage and New Battery Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China
College of Optical and Electronic Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Keywords:
heterojunction, piezophotocatalysis, SnFe2O4 (SFO), ZnIn2S4 (ZIS), polyvinylidene fluoride ((CH2CF2)n, PVDF) film
Cite this article:
Su P, Kong D, Zhao H, et al. SnFe2O4/ZnIn2S4/PVDF piezophotocatalyst with improved photocatalytic hydrogen production by synergetic effects of heterojunction and piezoelectricity. Journal of Advanced Ceramics, 2023, 12(9): 1685-1700. https://doi.org/10.26599/JAC.2023.9220758
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

The polarized electric field inside piezoelectric materials has been proven to be a promising technique to boost photogenerated charge separation. Herein, a novel flexible SnFe2O4/ZnIn2S4/polyvinylidene fluoride ((CH2CF2)n, PVDF) (P–SZ) film piezophotocatalyst was successfully synthesized by combining PVDF, an organic piezoelectric material, with a SnFe2O4/ZnIn2S4 (SFO/ZIS) type II heterojunction photocatalyst. The hydrogen evolution rate of SFO/ZIS heterojunction with a SFO content of 5% is about 846.79 μmol·h−1·g−1, which is 3.6 times that of pristine ZIS. Furthermore, after being combined with PVDF, the optimum hydrogen evolution rate of P–SZ is about 1652.7 μmol·h−1·g−1 in the presence of ultrasound, which exceeds that of 5% SFO/ZIS by an approximate factor of 2.0. Based on experimental results, the mechanism of the improved photocatalytic performance of P–SZ was proposed on the basis of the piezoelectric field in PVDF and the formed heterojunction between SFO and ZIS, which effectively boosted the separation of photoinduced charges. This work provides an efficient strategy for multi-path collection and utilization of natural solar and vibrational energy to enhance photoactivity.


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About this article

SnFe2O4/ZnIn2S4/PVDF piezophotocatalyst with improved photocatalytic hydrogen production by synergetic effects of heterojunction and piezoelectricity

Show Author's information Ping Sua, Dezhi Konga, Huaihao Zhaoa, Shangkun Lia, Dafeng Zhanga( ), Xipeng Pua( ), Changhua Sua, Peiqing Caib
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong Key Laboratory of Chemical Energy Storage and New Battery Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China
College of Optical and Electronic Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China

Abstract

The polarized electric field inside piezoelectric materials has been proven to be a promising technique to boost photogenerated charge separation. Herein, a novel flexible SnFe2O4/ZnIn2S4/polyvinylidene fluoride ((CH2CF2)n, PVDF) (P–SZ) film piezophotocatalyst was successfully synthesized by combining PVDF, an organic piezoelectric material, with a SnFe2O4/ZnIn2S4 (SFO/ZIS) type II heterojunction photocatalyst. The hydrogen evolution rate of SFO/ZIS heterojunction with a SFO content of 5% is about 846.79 μmol·h−1·g−1, which is 3.6 times that of pristine ZIS. Furthermore, after being combined with PVDF, the optimum hydrogen evolution rate of P–SZ is about 1652.7 μmol·h−1·g−1 in the presence of ultrasound, which exceeds that of 5% SFO/ZIS by an approximate factor of 2.0. Based on experimental results, the mechanism of the improved photocatalytic performance of P–SZ was proposed on the basis of the piezoelectric field in PVDF and the formed heterojunction between SFO and ZIS, which effectively boosted the separation of photoinduced charges. This work provides an efficient strategy for multi-path collection and utilization of natural solar and vibrational energy to enhance photoactivity.

Keywords: heterojunction, piezophotocatalysis, SnFe2O4 (SFO), ZnIn2S4 (ZIS), polyvinylidene fluoride ((CH2CF2)n, PVDF) film

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Publication history

Received: 14 January 2023
Revised: 02 April 2023
Accepted: 24 April 2023
Published: 12 June 2023
Issue date: September 2023

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© The Author(s) 2023.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation, China (Nos. ZR2021ME046 and ZR2022ME179) and Liaocheng University College Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program (No. 2020205926).

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