Enhanced Pyro-Photo Catalysis of the BaTiO3/NiB Catalyst for Dye Degradation Driven by Visible Light and Cold–Hot Cycles

Abstract

The decomposition mechanism of dyes under the synergistic effect of pyroelectric catalysis and photocatalysis was systematically investigated using a BaTiO₃/NiB catalyst in this paper, and the degradation efficiency of BaTiO₃/NiB was 97.5% under light and 24 cycles of hot and cold at 25 ~ 65 °C, showing high pyroelectroic catalytic RhB decomposition activity and excellent recoverability. The degradation rate constants of RhB chromophore degradation by Pyro-photocatalytic coupled were 3.2 times as high as those of photocatalysis and 11.8 times as high as those of pyroelectric catalysis. In this study, we used light-assisted electrodeposition to deposit a thin layer of amorphous NiB acid salts onto the surface of a BaTiO₃ photoelectrode aiming to explore its influence on photocharge separation and the catalytic mechanism of NiB in the context of pollutant degradation. The synergies between the pyroelectric internal field and the amorphous Ni–B acid salt thin layer during photogenerated charge separation were extensively explored in this paper, including the introduction of a port for pyroelectric polarization.

Graphical Abstract