Tribocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride using ferroelectric Ba2−xSr3+xNdNb7Ti3O30 submicron powder

Tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), as a widely used antibiotic, poses an increasingly serious environmental residue problem, necessitating the development of efficient and environmentally friendly degradation technologies. Herein, a series of tungsten bronze-structured Ba 2-x Sr 3+x NdNb 7 Ti 3 O 30 (BSNNT, x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6) submicron powders was prepared using high-temperature solid-state sintering. The performance and mechanism of tribocatalytic degradation of TCH were systematically investigated. The results indicated that as the Sr 2+ doping concentration increased, the lattice distortion of BSNNT worsened, and its ferroelectric properties considerably improved. The sample with x = 0.6 demonstrated the best performance, with a residual polarization (P r ) of 1.946 μC/cm 2 and a TCH degradation rate reaching 93.67 % within 120 min. Further introduction of metal coatings (Ni, Cu, and Zn) revealed that Zn coating considerably promoted the generation of active material, achieving a degradation rate of 97.86 % within 60 min. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, and fluorescence spectroscopy confirmed that •OH, •O 2 − , and h + were the primary active species in the catalytic reaction and that the Zn coating stabilized radical generation. Furthermore, cycling stability tests showed that the BSNNT (x = 0.6) catalyst maintained a degradation efficiency of 94 % after five cycles, demonstrating excellent stability and practical application potential. This study provided new insights into the application of ferroelectric materials in the degradation of environmental pollutants and laid a theoretical foundation for the development of efficient and environmentally friendly TCH treatment technologies.