Heterostructured BiFeO3@CdS nanofibers with enhanced piezoelectric response for efficient piezocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants

Piezocatalysis converting mechanical energy into chemical energy is deemed as an emerging technology for degradation of organic pollutants in water or air. In this work, BiFeO3@CdS nanofibers with heterostructure and enhanced piezoelectric response were prepared for efficient piezocatalytic degradation of organics in water. The optimal BiFeO3@CdS-10% achieved nearly complete removal of bisphenol A (BPA) within 60 min with the degradation rate constant of 0.098 min−1, which was 9.4 and 4.9 times higher than that of pristine BiFeO3 and CdS, respectively. The excellent piezocatalytic activity of the composite can be attributed to the construction of heterojunction and the enhanced piezoelectric response from the synergistic effect of the two piezoelectric components, which can accelerate the internal transfer of free carriers. It gives an insight into the feasible construction of efficient piezocatalysts and opens up a new way for BiFeO3-based piezoelectric materials to be utilized in purification of wastewater.