Piezo-/photo catalysis of the PZT/Ag2O heterostructure for dye decomposition under visible light and ultrasonic vibration

Abstract

Promoting the separation of photoelectrons and holes can enhance the photocatalytic performance of photocatalysts. The combination of photocatalysts with piezoelectric materials is an effective way to improve the photocatalytic performance. In this paper, the heterogeneous structure of PZT/Ag₂O is proposed, which can effectively improve its photocatalytic degradation performance through the piezoelectric effect. RhB degradation experiments were conducted under ultrasonic vibration and visible light irradiation to evaluate the photocatalytic performance of PZT/Ag₂O. It is worth noting that PZT/Ag₂O showed excellent piezo-/photocatalytic activity, and the degradation rate of RhB within 60 min was 96.31%, which was higher than those achieved under ultrasonic vibration (55.98%) and visible light irradiation (65.14%). The improved performance is due to the heterojunction construction widening the optical response range, while the piezoelectric effect provides a built-in polarization field to improve the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes. This study provides an efficient and feasible piezo-/photocatalyst for the treatment of pollutants. It is helpful to understand the mechanism of the piezoelectric effect and improve the photocatalytic performance.