Piezo-enhanced photocatalytic performance of ZnO nanorod array for pollutants degradation in dynamic water: Insight into the effect of velocity and inner flow field

• DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2022.107614
• Publication Date: 2022-07-19T06:28:09Z
• Authors: Yingying Wen; Juan Chen; Xin Gao; Huinan Che; Peifang Wang; Bin Liu; Yanhui Ao
• Keywords: Engineering; 13. Climate action; 11. Sustainability; 02 engineering and technology; Piezoelectric Effect; Dynamic Water; 0210 nano-technology; 12. Responsible consumption

The piezoelectric effect, which can promote photocatalytic degradation of pollutants, has attracted great attention. However, the effect of hydrodynamic factors on the performance is still unclear in the water-driven piezo-enhanced photocatalytic process. Herein, ZnO nanorod array on porous substrate was employed to study the effect of hydrodynamic factors on piezo-assisted photocatalysis. Flow field simulation analysis based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) indicates that velocity notably affects the piezo-photocatalytic process. Meanwhile, the porous structure of substrate promotes the formation of micro-turbulence, which also significantly improve the piezopotential of ZnO and further enhance the catalytic performance. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further reveal the vulnerable sites attacked by reactive species, thereby proposing the possible degradation pathway of pollutant. This study illustrates the important role of hydrodynamic factors in piezo-photocatalytic process and provides a feasible way for in-situ purification of pollutants in urban sewerage and drainage. Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Ministry of Education (MOE) We are grateful for the grants from Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51979081 and No. 52100179), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. B210202052), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2020M680063 and No. 2021T140176), Ministry of Education of Singapore (Tier 1: RG4/20 and Tier 2: MOET2EP10120- 0002), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (AME IRG: A20E5c0080) and PAPD.