ZnSnO₃ Nanoparticle-Based Piezocatalysts for Ultrasound-Assisted Degradation of Organic Pollutants

Abstract

Piezocatalysis is a promising alternative of photocatalysis where the strained state of a piezoelectric material is exploited for electrochemical surface reactions under dark conditions. Among various piezoelectric materials, ZnSnO3 has immense potential as piezocatalyst because of the noncentrosymmetric structure and strong ferroelectric polarization. Herein, we report orthorhombic ZnSnO3 nanoparticles as efficient piezocatalysts under ultrasound treatment. A small particle size of 4–5 nm, phase purity, room temperature ferroelectric behavior, and the colloidal form of ZnSnO3 are responsible for efficient piezocatalysis. It is shown that hydroxyl radicals are generated during piezocatalysis which is responsible for degradation activity. This work demonstrates the bright prospect of ZnSnO3 nanoparticles for ultrasound-assisted piezocatalytic decontamination of polluted water and other applications.