Spontaneous Chirality Transition‐Mediated Piezo‐Pyroelectric Synergy for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production from Saturated Vapor of VOC Aqueous Solutions

Abstract This study aims to develop a Janus‐structure piezo‐pyroelectric photocatalytic membrane for integrated temperature‐mechanical‐electric field coupling, targeting hydrogen (H 2 ) production from the saturated vapor of volatile organic compound (VOC) aqueous solutions. The strategy utilizes the unique features of the Janus architecture by combining a piezoelectric effect induced by spontaneous chiral curling and a tertiary pyroelectric effect arising from strain gradients under thermal non‐uniformity to enhance photocatalytic performance. The Janus membrane consists of two functional layers: succinic acid‐modified polyvinyl alcohol, which swells with humidity, and ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropylene), which expands in response to photothermal and organic solvent stimuli. Under coupled piezo‐pyroelectric effects, the photocatalytic H 2 release rate from saturated vapor of VOC aqueous solution reaches 336.6 µmol h −1 under atmospheric pressure, which is 14.6 times higher than that from a liquid‐phase water splitting system, with an average apparent quantum yield of 16.6%. The 44.8% reduction in photoluminescence intensity and the 1016.7‐fold enhancement in photocurrent confirm the improvement in photo‐generated carrier separation efficiency. COMSOL simulations reveal a synergistic enhancement of the built‐in electric field through piezo‐pyroelectric coupling. This work presents a strategy for designing high‐efficiency photocatalytic materials and multi‐field coupled energy conversion systems, while simultaneously achieving pollutant‐to‐resource conversion and clean energy production.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-08-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202518394
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and Sensors
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.46

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article

Spontaneous Chirality Transition‐Mediated Piezo‐Pyroelectric Synergy for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production from Saturated Vapor of VOC Aqueous Solutions

Huimin Wei, Bolun Li, Chunhua Lü, Jiahui Kou et al.
2 citations
Advanced Functional Materials
Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and Sensors
1.46
article

Spontaneous Chirality Transition‐Mediated Piezo‐Pyroelectric Synergy for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production from Saturated Vapor of VOC Aqueous Solutions

Huimin Wei, Bolun Li, Chunhua Lü, Jiahui Kou, Fan Cao, Bin Liu, Yukai Chen, Zhongzi Xu
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Abstract This study aims to develop a Janus‐structure piezo‐pyroelectric photocatalytic membrane for integrated temperature‐mechanical‐electric field coupling, targeting hydrogen (H 2 ) production from the saturated vapor of volatile organic compound (VOC) aqueous solutions. The strategy utilizes the unique features of the Janus architecture by combining a piezoelectric effect induced by spontaneous chiral curling and a tertiary pyroelectric effect arising from strain gradients under thermal non‐uniformity to enhance photocatalytic performance. The Janus membrane consists of two functional layers: succinic acid‐modified polyvinyl alcohol, which swells with humidity, and ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropylene), which expands in response to photothermal and organic solvent stimuli. Under coupled piezo‐pyroelectric effects, the photocatalytic H 2 release rate from saturated vapor of VOC aqueous solution reaches 336.6 µmol h −1 under atmospheric pressure, which is 14.6 times higher than that from a liquid‐phase water splitting system, with an average apparent quantum yield of 16.6%. The 44.8% reduction in photoluminescence intensity and the 1016.7‐fold enhancement in photocurrent confirm the improvement in photo‐generated carrier separation efficiency. COMSOL simulations reveal a synergistic enhancement of the built‐in electric field through piezo‐pyroelectric coupling. This work presents a strategy for designing high‐efficiency photocatalytic materials and multi‐field coupled energy conversion systems, while simultaneously achieving pollutant‐to‐resource conversion and clean energy production.

Advanced Functional MaterialsVol. 36(9)
Changzhou University (CN), The Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Inorganic Functional Composites
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and Sensors
1.46
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