Draft:Piezocatalysis

Piezocatalysis is the marriage of sonochemistry with functional ceramics that leads to process intensification and improved chemical yields.

Ferroelectric materials known for their piezoelectric properties enables piezocatalysis to provide a new and promising pathway toward enhanced energy efficiency and sustainable chemical processes. When mechanical stress is applied to a ferroelectric material through ultrasound or mechanical stirring there is a change to the internal dipole in the ferroelectric that results in an induced electric field that drives surface reactions. This technique has been shown to overcome challenges associated with a range of chemical processes and overcomes high overpotentials and reduces energy barriers as can be found in typical catalytic processes. Piezocatalysis has been shown to provide a route to cleaner energy generation, improved environmental remediation, and issues related to the economics and availability of conventional catalysts. The integration of piezocatalysis with traditional sonochemistry is leading to a wide range of discoveries about new chemistry and chemical engineering approaches.