An Investigation into the Effect of Ferroelectricity of BaTiO₃ on the Photocatalytic Activity in Dye Decolourisation

Abstract:

We use BaTiO₃ as a model photocatalyst to investigate the effect of ferroelectricity on catalytic activity against photocatalytic decolourisation of Acid Black 1. We find that there is a strong relationship between the degree of ferroelectric nature of the BaTiO₃ and the catalytic activity. When Ag is photodeposited onto BaTiO₃ to produce a modified BaTiO₃, the higher tetragonal material content shows the highest photocatalytic efficiency even though there is a reduced surface area due to heat treatment. This change in the performance of the catalyst is associated with improvements in charge carrier separation due to the internal space charge layer formed in a ferroelectric due to the internal dipole.

• Periodical: Advances in Science and Technology (Volume 93)
• Pages: 190-195
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AST.93.190
• Online since: October 2014
• Authors: Yong Fei Cui, Joe Briscoe, Steve Dunn*
• Keywords: Barium Titanate (BT), Ferroelectric, Photocatalysis

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