Boosting the piezo-photocatalytic performance of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 by modulating the oxygen vacancy concentration

The emergence of piezo-photocatalysis inaugurates a nascent approach aimed at mitigating the rapid recombination of electrons and holes, thus augmenting catalytic efficacy. This work endeavors to fabricate Na 0.5 Bi 0.5 TiO 3 (BNT) nanosphere powders through a simplified hydrothermal method , whereby precise control over the quantity of tetrabutyl titanate , a titanium source, is employed. The piezo-photocatalytic performance of BNT nanospheres is meticulously scrutinized through the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) at a concentration of 5 mg/L, utilizing ultrasonic vibration and UV–visible light irradiation . Remarkably, the appropriate oxygen vacancies exerts a profound impact on the efficiency of piezoelectric photocatalytic degradation. Among the investigated catalysts, The material with the best performance exhibits the highest rate of piezo-photocatalytic degradation, boasting a rate constant (k value) of 0.052 min −1 . Furthermore, the BNT nanospheres exhibit commendable stability and reusability in the context of piezo-photocatalytic degradation. Elucidation of the piezo-photocatalytic mechanism of BNT nanospheres is attained through the identification of radicals and intermediates present in the degradation process . This research imparts invaluable guidance for the design and development of state-of-the-art and high-performance piezo-photocatalytic catalysts.