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Strain engineering involves intentionally inducing lattice distortion in materials to manipulate their electronic and geometric properties, along with the accompanying bond strength between reactants and catalysts. This approach presents an appealing pathway to optimize catalytic performance. However, it confronts challenges in achieving precise control, scalability and controllable modulation of intermediate species' adsorption and desorption. Herein, we report a dynamic strain engineering method achieved through ultrasonic cavitation-induced high and low-pressure cycles, enabling periodically adjustable adsorption/desorption properties while bypassing complex synthesis procedures. Illustrated using ZnO and CO 2 piezo-reduction reaction as a demonstration, theoretical studies initially predict that adsorption of intermediates *COOH can be regulated within a specific range of strains. Under ultrasonic stimulation, ZnO catalyst with dynamic strain engineering exhibits a CO yield of ∼ 98.8 μmol·g−1·h−1, approximately 16.5 times higher than that achieved under ultraviolet light irradiation without dynamic strain engineering, despite the latter having a considerably stronger input power. Furthermore, we delve into the factors linked to dynamic strain amplitude and frequency. This dynamic strain engineering approach streamlines catalyst preparation and presents innovative possibilities for controlled manipulation of intermediate specie's adsorption/desorption, with potential applications across a wide range of catalytic systems. [Display omitted] • A dynamic strain engineering strategy for periodically tailoring adsorption between catalysts and intermediates is proposed. • This strategy eliminates the bygone need for complex catalyst synthesis and can be universally applied to any catalyst. • The underlying mechanism for the enhanced CO 2 conversion via such strategy is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Confronting the challenge of climate change necessitates innovative approaches for the reduction of CO 2 emissions. Metal-support interaction has been widely demonstrated to enable greatly improved performances in thermal-catalytic, photocatalytic and electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction. However, its applicability and specifically its role in the emerging piezo-electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction are unknown, severely hampering the utilizations of piezo-electrocatalysis in CO 2 conversion. Herein, by adopting Au particles supported on ZnO (Au/ZnO) as a paradigm, it is found that the metal-support interaction can remarkably improve the separation and transfer of piezo-carriers and enhance CO 2 adsorption. As a result, Au/ZnO demonstrates a substantially boosted activity for piezo-electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction and the optimal sample exhibits a 37.3% increase in CO yield compared to the pristine ZnO. The integration of metal-support interactions opens a new avenue to the design of advanced piezo-electrocatalysts for CO 2 reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezo-electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction (PECRR) technique has been verified as an effective CO 2 -to-fuel conversion strategy by exploiting and utilizing the widely distributed mechanical energy in nature, e.g., blue energy. The facile large-scale preparation of high-performance and low-cost piezo-electrocatalysts is therefore highly desired but challenging. Herein, a method of physical mixing of piezo-electrocatalysts and earth-abundant carbon-based materials is proposed to address the above issue, and we verified this method with typical piezoelectric BaTiO 3 and graphene oxide (GO) as a demonstration. With an optimized GO concentration, the BaTiO 3 shows a CO yield of 134.4 μmol g−1 h−1 which is about 45.3 % higher than that of pristine BaTiO 3. The mechanisms for the enhancement are revealed via boosted piezo-carrier dynamics and charge transfer from BaTiO 3 to GO as well as enhanced intrinsic activity. Furthermore, physical mixing of GO is extended to other piezo-electrocatalysts (MoS 2 , ZnO, ZnS, CdS, Bi 2 WO 6), from which it is found that their performance is improved compared to the counterpart of those without GO. This work suggests that the physical mixing GO is a universal method to improve PECRR performance and may be a decent candidate approach for large-scale preparation of high-performance and low-cost piezo-electrocatalysts in future. [Display omitted] • A facile physical mixing method boosting piezo-electrocatalytic CO 2 conversion performance is reported. • Charge transfer behavior between BaTiO 3 and graphene oxide is evidenced via a piezo-deposition experiment. • The method shows great potential in general large-scale preparation of high-performance and low-cost piezo-electrocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding on the photogenerated charge separation from a microscopic level remains a challenge and is highly desirable as it provides a cornerstone for designing high-performance photocatalysts. Herein, facet engineering is chosen as a tool to reveal the relationship between the charge separation/transfer and crystal structure. A series of BiOBr nanosheets with dominantly exposed facet of (001) or (010) as well as different lateral facet exposure ratios are constructed via adjusting pH value during the hydrothermal process. It is found that exposure of anisotropic crystal facets allows the separative transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes onto the lateral facets and dominantly exposed facets, respectively, which is attributed to the junction formed between distinct facets (i.e., facet junction). In the case of BiOBr-5 with (010)/(102) facet junction, the electron transfer rate (k ET) and efficiency (η ET) are 3.658 × 106s−1 and 54.09%, which are superior than the counterpart of BiOBr-1 with (001)/(110) facet junction. The fast electron transfer rate and high transfer efficiency of BiOBr-5 result in the high CO evolution rate from CO 2 photoreduction under artificial sunlight. Our work may bring some new insights into the mechanism of facet junction and rational design of photocatalysts with high performance for solar energy storage in future. The (010)/(102) facet junction on the BiOBr nanosheet was used for efficient charge separation and transport. its fast electron transfer rate and high transfer efficiency result in the high CO evolution rate from CO 2 photoreduction under artificial sunlight. Our work may bring some new insights into the mechanism understanding of facet junction and rational design of photocatalysts with high performance for solar energy storage in future. [Display omitted] • BiOBr nanosheets with different facet junctions were synthesized for photocatalytic CO 2 reduction. • The (010)/(102) facet junction presents more favorable charge separation and transfer performance than (001)/(110). • Such charge separation in (010) / (102) facet junction facilitates the efficient conversion of CO 2 into CO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New heterojunctions of PTCN-X are prepared using polypyrrole and TiO 2 with low-cost and facile method. • The PTCN-X are applied in photoelectrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 to C 2+ products with high efficiency. • The active sites and band structure of catalyst can be accurately controlled by the pyrolysis process. • The n-n heterojunction and pyridine-N active sites result in high separation efficiency of carriers. To store solar energy into chemical energy and ameliorate over-emission of CO 2 in modern society, the promising photoelectrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 into multicarbon products (C 2+) has inspired scientists to discover new efficient catalysts. Herein, a series of new heterojunctions of polypyrrole/TiO 2 (PTCN-X, X is pyrolytic temperature) were prepared by a facile method of in-situ oxidizing polymerazation of pyrrole onto the surface of TiO 2 and subsequently treating with temperature-controlled pyrolysis. An interesting phenomenon was discovered that the p-n heterojunction of PTCN gradually transferred to n-n heterojunction of PTCN-400. The optimal n-n heterojunctions of PTCN-400 have the highest selectivity of C 2+ products (71.4 %) under iirridiation at −1.2 V. Further investigation reveals that the band structure of PTCN-X heterojunctions can be tuned by various pyrolytic temperature to form more defects and pyridine-N active sites, which enhances separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-holes and selectivity of C 2+ products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]