Effect of poling and excess Bi2O3 on piezocatalysis by BaBi4Ti4O15

The piezocatalytic activity of ferroelectric BaBi4Ti4O15 catalyst with additional bismuth oxide in the range of 0-10 weight percentage and the effect of poling is investigated in this research article. The catalyst was synthesized via a solid-state reaction. The catalyst was calcinated for 4 h at 950 degrees C. Synthesized catalysts were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to get insight into the microstructure of the catalyst. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to get an insight into catalyst size and shape. Raman spectroscopy was used to get insight into the vibration modes in the catalyst. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was employed to get information about the atomic weight percentage of atoms. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to get information about the atomic composition of the surface of the catalyst. The solubility limit of Bi2O3 in BaBi4Ti4O15 and oxygen vacancy concentration was highest at 8% weight of Bi2O3. The results of piezocatalytic activity indicated that 8% weight of Bi2O3 catalyst is the most active catalyst. The piezocatlytic activity of the poled catalyst was examined and found that poled 8% weight of Bi2O3 catalyst is highly active to degrade organic textile dye. Antibacterial activity was also tested, and it also suggested that poled 8% weight of Bi2O3 catalyst is highly active to inactivate bacterium.