Highly tribocatalys driven by mechanical friction using micron-sized BaSb2O6 catalyst

Tribocatalysis is a new environmental purification technology, in which mechanical energy produced by friction can be converted into chemical energy for degrading organic pollutants. In this work, micron-sized BaSb2O6 powders are used as tribocatalyst for degrading Rhodamine B (RhB) dyes under magnetic stirring. The degradation efficiency in 5 mg⋅L−1 RhB dyes can be up to 93.5% after stirring for 6 h, which is due to the improved efficiency of friction caused by grinding wheel. Under magnetic stirring, the synergistic effect of electron transition inside of BaSb2O6 and electron transfer between BaSb2O6 and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) interface is the potential mechanism for dye degradation. Radical scavenger and fluorescence spectra analysis results show that hydroxyl radicals are the preponderant active species for RhB degradation. Furthermore, the BaSb2O6 catalyst also displays excellent recycling utilization property after undergoing three successive recycles. Finally, the decomposition rout (deethylation, chromophore cleavage, and ring-opening) of RhB during tribocatalysis is proposed.