Flexo-/Piezoelectric Polarization Boosting Exciton Dissociation in Curved Two-Dimensional Carbon Nitride Photocatalyst

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) carbon nitride (CN) materials have received tremendous attention as photocatalysts for clean energy and environmental treatment. However, the photocatalytic efficiency of CN is constrained by the high exciton binding energy and sluggish charge kinetics due to weak dielectric screening, impeding the overall process. Herein, localized flexo-/piezoelectric polarization is introduced via strain engineering, boosting exciton dissociation and promoting charge separation to enhance the multielectron photocatalytic process. Consequently, the exciton binding energy of polarized CN is reduced from 52 to 34 meV, and the hydrogen evolution yield increased by 2.9 times compared to that of the pristine CN. For other photocatalytic reactions (e.g., H₂O₂ production), the polarized CN also maintained a 2.1-fold increase compared to the pristine CN. This strategy of inducing localized polarization via strain engineering provides new insights for boosting photocatalytic reactions involving electrons.