Breathable Bactericide Piezocatalyst Integrating Anode–Cathode Heterojunction Capacitance on a Piezoelectric–Conductive Film

Abstract

Piezocatalysis has received great attention in recent years. However, despite the great promise therein, high-performance piezocatalysts are still rare and the principles in designing high-performance piezocatalysts remain lacking. We demonstrate here a novel piezocatalyst design by integrating the oxidizing and reducing reaction sites heterojunction on a piezoelectric and conductive matrix. The catalytic composite generates reactive oxidizing species with unprecedented high capabilities. The •O2- yield is over 400% that of previously reported catalysts and for the first time realized effective piezocatalytic bactericidal effects over 99%. A range of structural features, including proper energy band alignments, high capacitance, patterned high conductivity, voltage-regulated wettability, and effective piezoelectrical capability, are believed to synergize for their high piezocatalytic performance. This study has extended the piezocatalysts with new design principles, effective descriptors of merits, new applications, and effective performance capabilities.