Performance and Mechanism of Piezo-Catalytic Degradation of 4-Chlorophenol: Finding of Effective Piezo-Dechlorination

Piezo-catalysis was first used to degrade a nondye pollutant, 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). In this process, hydrothermally synthesized tetragonal BaTiO₃ nano/micrometer-sized particles were used as the piezo-catalyst, and the ultrasonic irradiation with low frequency was selected as the vibration energy to cause the deformation of tetragonal BaTiO₃. It was found that the piezoelectric potential from the deformation could not only successfully degrade 4-chlorophenol but also effectively dechlorinate it at the same time, and five kinds of dechlorinated intermediates, hydroquinone, benzoquinone, phenol, cyclohexanone, and cyclohexanol, were determined. This is the first sample of piezo-dechlorination. Although various active species, including h⁺, e⁻, •H, •OH, •O₂⁻, ¹O₂, and H₂O₂, were generated in the piezoelectric process, it was confirmed by ESR, scavenger studies, and LC-MS that the degradation and dechlorination were mainly attributed to •OH radicals. These •OH radicals were chiefly derived from the electron reduction of O₂, partly from the hole oxidation of H₂O. These results indicated that the piezo-catalysis was an emerging and effective advanced oxidation technology for degradation and dechlorination of organic pollutants.