Piezoelectric polarization promoted separation of photogenerated carriers in Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 with different micro-morphologies for efficient elimination of 2,4-Dichlorophenol and tetracycline

Piezoelectric photocatalysis has been considered as a fascinating solution to promote the effective separation of photogenerated carriers for the efficient removal of organic pollutants. Herein, we report that micro-morphology plays a decisive role in determining piezo potential to enhance photocatalytic activities. The high deformation capacity of Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) nanowires leads to superior piezo-photocatalytic activity compared to BLT nanosheets and BLT nanospheres for efficient removal of refractory 2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and tetracycline (TC). One-dimensional materials exhibit extremely high elasticity due to their greatly reduced size, allowing for a large degree of mechanical deformation. Under light and ultrasonic, the removal rates of 2,4-DCP and TC by BLT nanowires reached 93.04% and 96.30% after 60 min and 12 min, respectively, which were 2.97 and 2.96 times higher than those by light irradiation only. Furthermore, the ultrasonic power and frequency are important factors to optimize the piezoelectric catalytic and piezo-photocatalytic performance. Modulating the morphology of the material can regulate the piezoelectric effect of the material to suit different practical needs. Moreover, it is simpler to obtain efficient piezoelectric effects through morphology optimization than to design and develop new materials for a wider range of applications.