Ferroelectric field enhanced tribocatalytic hydrogen production and RhB dye degradation by tungsten bronze ferroelectrics

Abstract

Tribocatalysis is a method that converts mechanical energy into chemical energy. In this study, we synthesized tungsten bronze structured Ba_0.75Sr_0.25Nb_1.9Ta_0.1O₆ ferroelectric ceramic submicron powder using a traditional solid-state route, and the powder exhibited excellent performance in tribocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production. Under the friction stirring of three polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) magnetic stirring bars in pure water, the rate of hydrogen generation by the Ba_0.75Sr_0.25Nb_1.9Ta_0.1O₆ ferroelectric submicron powder is 200 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹, and after 72 hours, the accumulated hydrogen production reaches 15 892.8 μmol g⁻¹. Additionally, this ferroelectric tungsten bronze ferroelectric material also exhibits excellent tribocatalytic degradation ability toward RhB dyes, with degradation efficiency reaching 96% in 2 hours. The study of tribocatalysis based on tungsten bronze ferroelectric materials represents a significant step forward in versatile energy utilization for clean energy and environmental wastewater degradation.