Kinetically Enhanced Piezo-Photocatalysis over NaNbO3/TiO2 Nanocomposite Heterojunctions Driven by Multimodal Energy Inputs

Addressing the pressing concerns of energy shortages and environmental contamination remains critical for achieving sustainable societal development. Combining ferroelectric/piezoelectric catalysts with light-driven materials has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance their synergistic catalytic performance. In this study, we developed a piezoelectric NaNbO 3 /TiO 2 heterojunction for multimodal energy harvesting and catalytic applications. The optimized composite demonstrated excellent piezo-photocatalytic activity through effective coupling of solar and mechanical energy. Under concurrent solar illumination and ultrasonic excitation, the heterojunction catalyst achieved over 96 % degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) within 60 min, exhibiting significantly enhanced performance compared to the individual NaNbO 3 or TiO 2 components. Moreover, the composite maintained its degradation efficiency through multiple recycling cycles. Mechanistic studies revealed that •O 2 - and h + are the primary active species during the degradation process. This study offers a feasible approach to enhancing photocatalytic performance through mechanical vibration, while contributing to the advancement and utilization of piezoelectric materials for multimodal energy harvesting.