High pyrocatalytic properties of pyroelectric BaTiO3 nanofibers loaded by noble metal under room-temperature thermal cycling

In this work, an unambiguous pyroelectrically-induced pyrocatalysis in hydrothermally-synthesized BaTiO3 (BTO) nanofibers with or without noble metal loading ([email protected] and [email protected]) is found and its application for the decomposition of Rhodamine B dye under thermal cycling near room-temperature is also developed. The pyrocatalytic decomposition ratios of BTO, [email protected] and [email protected] are ~ 48%, ~ 92% and ~ 95%, respectively, under 72 cold-hot (30–52 °C) thermal cycles. In the pyrocatalytic process, the detected main active species are holes, hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals. The enhanced pyrocatalysis is attributed to noble metals that trap the transferred electrons from the BTO surface, promoting charge separation. No obvious loss of pyrocatalytic activity is observed after 5 cycles, indicating good stability of [email protected] and [email protected] nanofibers. The enhanced pyrocatalytic performance makes [email protected] and [email protected] nanofibers potential in purifying dye waste pollution through utilizing cold-hot fluctuation thermal energy.