Copper nanoparticles-modified Na0.5Bi4.5Ti4O15 micron-sheets as a highly efficient and low cost piezo-photocatalyst

Abstract

The coupling of piezoelectric effect and metal surface modification is an effective way to improve photocatalytic performance. Herein, we prepared a new piezoelectric heterojunction catalyst by depositing Cu nanoparticles on the surface of lead-free Na0.5Bi4.5Ti4O15 (NBT) piezoelectric micron-sheets. Under the simultaneous excitation of light and stirring, NBT@6.4 wt%Cu photocatalyst exhibits excellent piezo-photocatalytic activity, in which the degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) solution can reach 96% within 120 min, and the rate constant kobs value is as high as 24.67 × 10−3 min−1, which is ∼ 13 times larger than that of pure NBT photocatalyst under the excitation of light. The improved piezo-photocatalytic performance is attributed to that the deposition of Cu nanoparticles and the high piezoelectric properties of NBT facilitates the transfer and separation of photogenerated carriers. This work provides a new option for designing high-performance piezo-photocatalysts for pollutant treatment.