Robust Flexo‐Catalysis in Centrosymmetric Nanoparticles

Abstract

AbstractFlexoelectricity has trigged emergent phenomena and functionalities, such as flexo‐resistance, flexo‐photovoltaic, photo‐flexoelectric, flexo‐electronics and so on. Analogous to piezocatalysis, the flexoelectric effect can provide a novel mechanism to enhance the sonochemical redox reactions. Here, by extending flexoelectricity to electrochemical functionality, an unprecedented phenomenon is demonstrated of flexo‐catalysis effect in centrosymmetric nanoparticles to degrade organic dyes. Simulations have been performed to elucidate the bubble cavitation induced strain gradients and polarization variation, and in turn the flexoelectricity induced reactive species have been verified by trapping experiment. The flexo‐catalytic results show that more than 92.2% of Rhodamine B can be degraded at a rate of ≈k = 0.6 h−1. This finding not only suggests a new strategy to generate the flexoelectric effect, but also opens up the possibility to extend existing catalytic techniques.