Ultrasound-assisted photocatalytic degradation of RhB by Bi-doped AgNbO3 under internal electric field control

Donor doping is a promising method to regulate ferroelectric properties and grain size. Herein, Ag1–3xBixNbO3 (x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04) powders were prepared by a conventional solid-state sintering method. The grain size gradually decreases with increasing x. The piezo-photocatalytic decomposition ratio of Rhodamine B (RhB) is 96.3% within 60 min for Ag0.91Bi0.03NbO3-air, and the rate constant k value reaches 0.057 min−1, which is comparable to that of precious metal-loaded catalysts. It is worth mentioning that Ag0.91Bi0.03NbO3-air exhibits great piezo-photocatalytic activity among these samples, because the rational introduction of Bi into AgNbO3-air can control the grain size, ferroelectric property, and remanent polarization. This study provides insight into donor doping and grain size engineering strategies in the hope of providing additional insights into the environmental field.