Ferroelectric Polarization-Enhanced Photocatalysis in BaTiO3-TiO2 Core-Shell Heterostructures

Xiaoyan Liu; Siyi Lv; Baoyan Fan; An Xing; Bi Jia

doi:10.3390/nano9081116

Nanomaterials (Aug 2019)

Ferroelectric Polarization-Enhanced Photocatalysis in BaTiO3-TiO2 Core-Shell Heterostructures

Xiaoyan Liu,
Siyi Lv,
Baoyan Fan,
An Xing,
Bi Jia

Affiliations

Xiaoyan Liu: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composites and Devices, College of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing 401331, China
Siyi Lv: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composites and Devices, College of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing 401331, China
Baoyan Fan: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composites and Devices, College of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing 401331, China
An Xing: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composites and Devices, College of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing 401331, China
Bi Jia: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composites and Devices, College of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing 401331, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nano9081116
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9, no. 8
p. 1116

Abstract

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Suppressing charge recombination and improving carrier transport are key challenges for the enhancement of photocatalytic activity of heterostructured photocatalysts. Here, we report a ferroelectric polarization-enhanced photocatalysis on the basis of BaTiO3-TiO2 core-shell heterostructures synthesized via a hydrothermal process. With an optimal weight ratio of BaTiO3 to TiO2, the heterostructures exhibited the maximum photocatalytic performance of 1.8 times higher than pure TiO2 nanoparticles. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to the promotion of charge separation and transport based on the internal electric field originating from the spontaneous polarization of ferroelectric BaTiO3. High stability of polarization-enhanced photocatalysis is also confirmed from the BaTiO3-TiO2 core-shell heterostructures. This study provides evidence that ferroelectric polarization holds great promise for improving the performance of heterostructured photocatalysts.

Published in Nanomaterials

ISSN: 2079-4991 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nanomaterials

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