Harvesting the Vibration Energy of BiFeO₃ Nanosheets for Hydrogen Evolution

TLDR

The vibration‑induced catalysis of BiFeO₃ nanosheets arises from their piezocatalytic properties and high surface area, and piezoelectric band tilting makes the conduction band more negative than the H₂/H₂O redox potential, eliminating the need for band‑edge alignment required by photocatalysts. The study uses mechanical vibration of BiFeO₃ nanosheets to generate hydrogen and decompose dye molecules. Mechanical vibration induces uncompensated piezoelectric charges on BiFeO₃ nanosheets, creating a built‑in electric field that drives catalysis. Under 100 W mechanical vibration at resonance, the BiFeO₃ nanosheets produce ≈124.1 µmol g⁻¹ of hydrogen in one hour and achieve ≈94.1 % decomposition of Rhodamine B in 50 min.

Abstract

Abstract In this study, mechanical vibration is used for hydrogen generation and decomposition of dye molecules, with the help of BiFeO 3 (BFO) square nanosheets. A high hydrogen production rate of ≈124.1 μmol g −1 is achieved under mechanical vibration (100 W) for 1 h at the resonant frequency of the BFO nanosheets. The decomposition ratio of Rhodamine B dye reaches up to ≈94.1 % after mechanical vibration of the BFO catalyst for 50 min. The vibration‐induced catalysis of the BFO square nanosheets may be attributed to the piezocatalytic properties of BFO and the high specific surface area of the nanosheets. The uncompensated piezoelectric charges on the surfaces of BFO nanosheets induced by mechanical vibration result in a built‐in electric field across the nanosheets. Unlike a photocatalyst for water splitting, which requires a proper band edge position for hydrogen evolution, such a requirement is not needed in piezocatalytic water splitting, where the band tilting under the induced piezoelectric field will make the conduction band of BFO more negative than the H 2 /H 2 O redox potential (0 V) for hydrogen generation.