Rapid degradation of organic contaminants via piezocatalytic activation of peroxomonosulfate mediated by 1T/2H MoS2 with enhanced piezoelectric polarization at the heterointerfaces

Conventional MoS 2 catalysts face challenges, including weak piezoelectric response, reliance on energy-intensive ultrasound, and limited active sites, reducing their efficiency in degrading organic pollutants. In this work, 1T/2H heterostructured MoS 2 nanoflowers were synthesized via an ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal method, enabling efficient piezocatalytic activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) under mild mechanical stirring. The 1T/2H MoS 2 /PMS system rapidly degraded 95.9 % of Rhodamine B in 15 min, with a kinetic rate 4.43 times higher than conventional MoS 2 , and showed excellent cycling stability. This superior performance was due to enhanced piezoelectric polarization at heterointerfaces, which improved charge carrier separation, and the use of low-energy mechanical stirring instead of ultrasound for activation. Optimized interfacial charge transfer pathways also boosted the generation of superoxide anions (•O₂⁻) and singlet oxygen (¹O 2 ). Moreover, immobilizing 1T/2H MoS 2 on conductive carbon cloth enhanced recyclability and operational feasibility, offering a sustainable solution for water treatment technologies.