Recent Advances of Ferro-, Piezo-, and Pyroelectric Nanomaterials for Catalytic Applications

Abstract

Ferro-, piezo-, and pyroelectric materials are emerging as potential candidates for converting various forms of primary energy from the ambient environment (e.g., sunlight, mechanical, and thermal energy) into secondary energy (e.g., chemical energy). Despite the relatively short investigation time, much progress has been made related to this field. This review covers the fundamental principles of coupling ferro-, piezo-, and pyroelectric effects with different catalytic reactions; the crucial role of a polarization-induced internal electric field in charge separation and transport in these materials is discussed. We particularly focus on recent notable examples of using these three types of nanostructured materials for a variety of catalytic applications in the fields of renewable energy production (e.g., water splitting and CO2 reduction), environmental remediation (e.g., organic pollutant decontamination), and materials synthesis (e.g., selective growth/deposition and organic synthesis). Finally, we conclude this review by proposing critical challenges and future perspectives for developing ferro-, piezo-, and pyroelectric nanomaterial-based catalysts for efficient energy harvesting.