Issue 2, 2022

Reusable piezocatalytic water disinfection activity of CVD-grown few-layer WS2 on sapphire substrate

Abstract

Piezocatalysis of semiconductors is an arising technology that transforms mechanical stress into chemical energy to enhance the reaction rate with piezo-generated free charge carriers. In the present work, CVD-grown few-layer WS2 is demonstrated as an efficient piezocatalyst for water remediation, covering dye degradation and bacterial disinfection. The piezoelectric effect in few-layer WS2 is investigated with piezoresponse force microscopy, which confirms polarity change with the application of an electric field. This 2D nanocatalyst exhibits a superior piezocatalytic activity with a degradation rate of 0.021 min−1 for rhodamine B. The reusability and versatile nature of different dyes have been tested. In addition to dye degradation, bacterial disinfection by piezocatalytic effect is also tested, and the grown catalyst is found to be able to successfully remove more than 99.99% of E. coli bacteria within 120 min of ultrasonication. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of piezocatalytic mechanisms and a facile route to develop high-performance, eco-friendly 2D-based catalysts.

Graphical abstract: Reusable piezocatalytic water disinfection activity of CVD-grown few-layer WS2 on sapphire substrate

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Okt 2021
Accepted
26 Des 2021
First published
28 Des 2021

Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2022,9, 805-814

Reusable piezocatalytic water disinfection activity of CVD-grown few-layer WS2 on sapphire substrate

D. Thakur, M. Sharma, V. Balakrishnan and R. Vaish, Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2022, 9, 805 DOI: 10.1039/D1EN00926E

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