Largely enhanced Piezoelectric-Fenton capability in rationally designed PVDF/Fe2O3 flexible porous film

Abstract

The burgeoning piezocatalysts have attracted huge attentions due to their ability to convert natural mechanical energy to degrade water pollutants. However, traditional powder-based piezocatalysts still face an inevitable bottleneck of the secondary pollution because of the diffusion of nanoparticles during the piezocatalysis process. In this work, novel porous polymer-based composite films combining Fenton fillers (α-Fe2O3) and ferroelectric polymer (polyvinylidene fluoride, PVDF) are prepared by rationally designed solution-casted method with a sacrificial “hard template” of table salt. The as-prepared porous PVDF/Fe2O3 film exhibits superior decomposition efficiency of organic pollutants under ultrasonication. Particularly, the easily recyclable porous film with optimized composition and spatial structure offers an ultrahigh rate constant of 0.0498 min−1, which means it can degrade 94.8% rhodamine B (RhB) in 60 min, exceeding that of most reported polymer-based piezocatalysts. Additionally, it has a comprehensive decomposition effect on dyes, antibiotics and natural water with a good cycle performance. The outstanding degradation performance is attributed to the massive hydroxyl radical generated from the enhanced Piezoelectric-Fenton effect, which is ascribed to the synergistic effect of improved piezoelectricity in PVDF, enhanced hydrophilicity and optimized spatial structures in the porous composite films.