Citation: Kaiye Gu, Junjie Ni, Huinan Che, Chen Liu, Yanhui Ao. Interfacial cascade channels strategy on innovative heterojunction catalysts for superior piezo-photocatalytic wastewater decontamination[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(9): 112409. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2026.112409 shu

Interfacial cascade channels strategy on innovative heterojunction catalysts for superior piezo-photocatalytic wastewater decontamination

Kaiye Gu ^a ,
Junjie Ni ^a ,
Huinan Che ^a ,
Chen Liu ^{a, *,} ,
Yanhui Ao ^{a, b, *,}

a.
Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
b.
Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants Prevention Control and Resource Reuse, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063, China

liuchen211@hhu.edu.cn

andyao@hhu.edu.cn

Received Date: 13 August 2025
Revised Date: 17 November 2025
Accepted Date: 12 January 2026
Available Online: 13 January 2026

Figures(4)

At present, the practical application of photocatalysis is still limited by poor charge carrier separation efficiency. The incorporation of a piezoelectric polarization field is an effective strategy to enhance the photogenerated charge transport rate and strengthen the photocatalytic activity. In this work, a NaNbO₃/AgI (NBO/AgI) heterojunction was fabricated for the efficient piezo-photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMZ). 91.6% of SMZ was degraded within 30 min, which far surpasses degradation under individual photocatalysis or piezocatalysis. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that electron cloud interactions form interfacial cascade channels at the NBO/AgI heterojunction interface, facilitating charge transport. Meanwhile, the piezoelectric polarization field promotes the separation and migration of photogenerated charges, inducing high-efficiency piezo-photocatalytic performance. The piezo-photocatalytic mechanism was explored by electron paramagnetic resonance, piezo-response force microscopy. Intermediate analysis confirmed the degradation pathways and reduced ecological risks of intermediates. This study provides new insights for the design of piezo-photocatalytic materials, as well as a fresh perspective on the treatment of pollutants in wastewater.
- Piezo-photocatalysis,
- Heterojunction,
- Piezoelectric polarization,
- Sulfamethoxazole
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沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142