Sludge carbon promotes barium titanate piezoelectric property to activate persulfate degradation of enrofloxacin

BACKGROUND Piezoelectric catalysis using perovskite-type barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) has been applied to the decomposition of refractory organic pollutants through piezoelectric catalytic persulfate (PS). Nevertheless, challenges such as a limited specific surface area, poor electrical conductivity and a tendency towards agglomeration in BaTiO 3 necessitate the exploration of novel methods to enhance its piezoelectric efficiency. RESULTS Sludge carbon (SC) from sewage treatment and BaTiO 3 was utilized to develop a novel piezoelectric catalytic material (BaTiO 3 /SC). The specific surface area of BaTiO 3 /SC reached 67.92 m 2 g −1 , which is nine times larger than that of BaTiO 3 alone. The inclusion of SC in the composite enhanced the number of active sites and contributed to a higher degree of graphitization, improved electrical conductivity, and provided a more stable structure for BaTiO 3 /SC. This material was capable of harvesting mechanical vibration energy from ultrasound, thereby generating piezoelectric catalytic properties and activating PS to achieve a 93% decomposition ratio of enrofloxacin (ENR) in water within 80 min. The activation of PS by BaTiO 3 /SC piezocatalysis led to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as • OH and SO 4 −• . These ROS attack the quinolone ring of ENR, which is susceptible to cleavage, resulting in the decomposition of ENR into intermediates of lower toxicity. CONCLUSION The incorporation of SC has enhanced the piezoelectric performance of BaTiO 3 , rendering BaTiO 3 /SC a novel perovskite-type piezoelectric catalytic material that improves piezoelectric efficiency. The BaTiO 3 /SC system, through its piezoelectric catalytic activation of PS, demonstrates potential for decomposition of refractory organic pollutants in water treatment. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).