Enhanced piezoelectric polarization by subtle structure distortion to trigger efficient photocatalytic CO2RR

Achieving the goal of carbon neutralization using photocatalytic CO2 reduction has garnered widespread attention. However, rapid bulk-charge recombination seriously impedes the further improvement of photocatalytic properties. In response, we propose a novel strategy to solve this limitation using enhanced piezoelectric polarized electric fields. Co3O4 is introduced into NaNbO3 by straightforward photo-deposition method, which causes the distortion of NbO6 octahedron to alter the symmetry and boost the piezoelectricity. Meanwhile, the increased Co sites facilitate the adsorption of CO2, and reduce the reaction energy barrier. As a result, the Co3O4-modified NaNbO3 nanocubes possess outstanding properties of CO2 reduction under the synergy of ultrasound and visible light with the yield of CO about 4579.71 μmol g−1. Furthermore, the mechanism of piezo-photocatalytic CO2 reduction is revealed in detail based on DFT, KPFM, and in-suit DRIFTS characterizations, thus providing guidance for the design of high-performance CO2 photoreduction systems.