Novel application of Ag/PbBiO2I nanocomposite in piezocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B via harvesting ultrasonic vibration energy

Abstract

Ag/PbBiO₂I nanocomposite was synthesized and firstly applied in piezocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under ultrasonic vibration. The two-dimensional structure endows PbBiO₂I nanosheets piezoelectric property, so that it can drive the piezocatalytic reaction under ultrasonic vibration. The loading of Ag nanoparticles forms Schottky barriers between the Ag-PbBiO₂I contact region, which improves the separation of charge carriers and subsequently increases the piezocatalytic efficiency. The RhB degradation rate of the optimal Ag/PbBiO₂I sample is 0.0165 min^-1, which reaches 6.8 times that of pure PbBiO₂I. This work indicates that the PbBiO₂I nanosheet shows promising potential in utilizing ultrasonic vibration energy.