Tribocatalytic activity of poled BaCuxTi1-xO3-x nanofibers for degradation of organic dye.

[Display omitted] • BaCu x Ti 1-x O 3-x nanofibers were prepared by hydrothermal method. • Poling can improve the tribocatalytic activity of BaCu 0.02 Ti 0.98 O 2.98 nanofibers. • High conductivity is resulted from Cu2+ doping, smaller grain size and poling effect. BaCu x Ti 1-x O 3-x (x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04) nanofibers were synthesized via the hydrothermal method and subsequently subjected to poling. The impact of composition on their tribocatalytic performance and the underlying catalytic mechanism were investigated. After 100 min, all poled BaCu x Ti 1-x O 3-x nanofibers exhibited superior tribocatalytic efficiency compared to pure BaTiO 3 , with BaCu 0.02 Ti 0.98 O 2.98 poled nanofibers achieving a degradation rate of up to 80 % for RhB solution. This is because the increased conductivity and reduced carrier recombination rate which were caused by a 0.02 Cu doping, smaller grain size and poling effect. Control experiments confirmed that both stirring and the presence of a catalyst are essential prerequisites for tribocatalysis. Furthermore, the universality, selectivity, stability, and main active group O 2 – of poled BaCu x Ti 1-x O 3-x (x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04) nanofibers were verified. Lastly, although the tribocatalytic efficiency presented in this paper does not match that of piezoelectric catalysis, the latter requires ultrasonic conditions that are challenging to find naturally. As a result, tribocatalysis offers greater potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]