Al–Ce co-doped BaTiO₃ nanofibers with piezo-potential enhanced photocatalytic properties for degradation of organic pollutants

The application of piezoelectric field has recently gained attention as a useful strategy for suppressing the recombination of photoproduced electron-hole pairs in semiconductors, thereby improving their photocatalytic activity. In this study, Al-Ce co-doped BaTiO₃ nanofibers were synthesized to exploit the dual benefits of elemental doping and the inherent piezoelectric properties of BaTiO₃ for improved photocatalytic performance. The piezoelectric polarization induced by ultrasonic vibration significantly enhanced the photocatalytic degradation of ofloxacin. Under combined ultrasonic vibration and visible light irradiation, the Al-Ce co-doped BaTiO₃ nanofibers achieved an ofloxacin degradation rate of ∼ 97.9 % within 120 min, outperforming pristine, single-doped BaTiO₃, and TiO₂ under the identical conditions. This enhancement is attributed to the synergistic effects of the doping elements within the BaTiO₃ crystalline lattice, which promote carrier separation and piezoelectric field generation. The catalyst exhibited excellent durability, retaining its performance over five consecutive degradation cycles. Moreover, GC-MS analysis elucidated the ofloxacin degradation pathway during piezo-photocatalytic degradation. Our findings highlight the potential of Al-Ce co-doped BaTiO₃ nanofibers as promising piezo-photocatalysts for water purification applications.