Aurivillius-layered Bi2WO6 nanoplates with CoOx cocatalyst as high-performance piezocatalyst for hydrogen evolution

• Published in: Dalton transactions : an international journal of inorganic chemistry 2023-10, Vol.52 (39), p.14210-14219
• Main Authors: Tan, Lining, Sun, Xinran, Zhang, Jintao, Jin, Chengchao, Wang, Fei, Liu, Daiming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bismuth compounds; Bismuth oxides; Cobalt oxides; Hydrogen evolution reactions; Hydrogen peroxide; Hydrothermal reactions; Nanoparticles; Piezoelectricity; Tungstates; Water splitting
• ISSN: 1477-9226; 1477-9234
• DOI: 10.1039/d3dt02077k

Developing a high-performance piezocatalyst that directly transforms mechanical energy into hydrogen is highly desirable in the field of new energy. Herein, the Aurivillius-layered Bi2WO6 (BWO) nanoplates are prepared through a hydrothermal reaction at a moderate temperature of 160 °C, and exhibit strong piezoelectric properties, enabling them to catalyze water splitting through ultrasonic-induced piezocatalysis effect. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and H2O2 generation efficiencies are measured to be 0.43 and 0.36 mmol g−1 h−1, respectively. To further boost piezocatalytic performance, cobalt oxide nanoparticles are intentionally photo-deposited onto these nanoplates as cocatalyst. This configuration results in a significantly boosted HER performance with an efficiency of 3.59 mmol g−1 h−1, which is 2.8 times higher than that of pristine nanoplates and demonstrates strong competitiveness compared to other reported piezocatalysts. The cobalt oxide cocatalyst plays a crucial role in facilitating efficient charge separation and migration, increasing the charge concentration, and ultimately enhancing piezocatalytic HER activity. Overall, this work highlights the potential of Aurivillius-layered bismuth oxide compounds as efficient piezocatalysts and provides valuable insights for designing high-performance piezocatalysts in the field of new energy.