ZnSnO₃ Nanoparticle-Based Piezocatalysts for Ultrasound-Assisted Degradation of Organic Pollutants

Piezocatalysis is a promising alternative of photocatalysis where the strained state of a piezoelectric material is exploited for electrochemical surface reactions under dark conditions. Among various piezoelectric materials, ZnSnO 3 has immense potential as piezocatalyst because of the noncentrosymmetric structure and strong ferroelectric polarization. Herein, we report orthorhombic ZnSnO 3 nanoparticles as efficient piezocatalysts under ultrasound treatment. A small particle size of 4–5 nm, phase purity, room temperature ferroelectric behavior, and the colloidal form of ZnSnO 3 are responsible for efficient piezocatalysis. It is shown that hydroxyl radicals are generated during piezocatalysis which is responsible for degradation activity. This work demonstrates the bright prospect of ZnSnO 3 nanoparticles for ultrasound-assisted piezocatalytic decontamination of polluted water and other applications.