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Journal of Advanced Ceramics 2024, 13(4): 437-446 https://doi.org/10.26599/JAC.2024.9220866
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 09 April 2024

Macroscopic polarization enhancement boosting piezo-photocatalytic performance via Nb-doping on B-site of Bi4Ti3O12 nanosheets

Show Author's Information Hongjian Yu1( ),  Xindong Wei1,  Min Wang1,  Yan Zhang1,2,  Zheng Wu3( ),  Fan Guo1,  Jie Han1( )
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, China
Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Geological Carbon Storage and Low Carbon Utilization of Resources, Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid Wastes, National Laboratory of Mineral Materials, School of Material Sciences and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Xi’an Key Laboratory of Textile Chemical Engineering Auxiliaries, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an 710048, China
Keywords:
CO2 reduction, dye degradation, piezo-photocatalysis, Nb-doped Bi4Ti3O12, macroscopic polarization regulation
Cite this article:
Yu H, Wei X, Wang M, et al. Macroscopic polarization enhancement boosting piezo-photocatalytic performance via Nb-doping on B-site of Bi4Ti3O12 nanosheets. Journal of Advanced Ceramics, 2024, 13(4): 437-446. https://doi.org/10.26599/JAC.2024.9220866
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

The development of a high-performance ferroelectric piezo-photocatalyst is an efficient strategy for advancing sustainability within the environmental and energy sectors. Yet, a major challenge lies in the creation of a strong polarized electric field that can effectively hinder charge recombination, both within the bulk and on the surface of catalysts. Herein, we synthesize a series of Nb-doped Bi4Ti3O12 nanosheets via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method to achieve synergistically enhanced piezo-photocatalytic performance in CO2 reduction and pollutant degradation. The optimized doped Bi4Ti3O12 demonstrates remarkable efficiency in the conversion of CO2 into CO, with a high production rate of 72.7 μmol∙g−1∙h−1 without using co-catalysts or any sacrificial agent, surpassing the performance of unmodified Bi4Ti3O12 by up to 4.69 folds. Additionally, our catalyst demonstrates ultra-fast piezo-photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant Rhodamine B (RhB) at low concentrations and exceptional piezo-photocatalytic activity at high concentrations, outperforming most previously reported state-of-the-art catalysts. The systematic corroboration of catalyst characterization and experimental analysis reveals that the synergistic effect arises from the amplified macroscopic polarization induced by lattice distortion caused by the larger Nb ions, thereby improving piezo-photocatalytic efficiency. This research thus offers valuable insights into the direct design and fabrication of versatile catalytic systems, with applications spanning CO2 valorization and beyond.


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About this article

Macroscopic polarization enhancement boosting piezo-photocatalytic performance via Nb-doping on B-site of Bi4Ti3O12 nanosheets

Show Author's information Hongjian Yu1( ), Xindong Wei1, Min Wang1, Yan Zhang1,2, Zheng Wu3( ), Fan Guo1, Jie Han1( )
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, China
Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Geological Carbon Storage and Low Carbon Utilization of Resources, Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid Wastes, National Laboratory of Mineral Materials, School of Material Sciences and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Xi’an Key Laboratory of Textile Chemical Engineering Auxiliaries, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an 710048, China

Abstract

The development of a high-performance ferroelectric piezo-photocatalyst is an efficient strategy for advancing sustainability within the environmental and energy sectors. Yet, a major challenge lies in the creation of a strong polarized electric field that can effectively hinder charge recombination, both within the bulk and on the surface of catalysts. Herein, we synthesize a series of Nb-doped Bi4Ti3O12 nanosheets via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method to achieve synergistically enhanced piezo-photocatalytic performance in CO2 reduction and pollutant degradation. The optimized doped Bi4Ti3O12 demonstrates remarkable efficiency in the conversion of CO2 into CO, with a high production rate of 72.7 μmol∙g−1∙h−1 without using co-catalysts or any sacrificial agent, surpassing the performance of unmodified Bi4Ti3O12 by up to 4.69 folds. Additionally, our catalyst demonstrates ultra-fast piezo-photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant Rhodamine B (RhB) at low concentrations and exceptional piezo-photocatalytic activity at high concentrations, outperforming most previously reported state-of-the-art catalysts. The systematic corroboration of catalyst characterization and experimental analysis reveals that the synergistic effect arises from the amplified macroscopic polarization induced by lattice distortion caused by the larger Nb ions, thereby improving piezo-photocatalytic efficiency. This research thus offers valuable insights into the direct design and fabrication of versatile catalytic systems, with applications spanning CO2 valorization and beyond.

Keywords: CO2 reduction, dye degradation, piezo-photocatalysis, Nb-doped Bi4Ti3O12, macroscopic polarization regulation

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Received: 22 December 2023
Revised: 15 February 2024
Accepted: 15 February 2024
Published: 09 April 2024
Issue date: April 2024

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© The Author(s) 2024.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BK20220596), Innovative Science and Technology Platform Project of Cooperation between Yangzhou City and Yangzhou University, China (No. YZ202026305), the Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21922202 and 21673202), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Shaanxi Province High-level Talent Introduction Program (Youth Project), Doctoral Research Start-up Fund project of Xi’an Polytechnic University (No. 107020589), the Biological Resources Development and the Textile Wastewater Treatment Innovation Team (No. 23JP055). We would also like to acknowledge the technical support received at the Testing Center of Yangzhou University.

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This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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