Ferroelectric polarization effect promoting the bulk charge separation for enhance the efficiency of photocatalytic degradation

Abstract Focused on the separation of photoinduced carriers to improve the photocatalytic performance of semiconductors, polarized C/Bi/Bi2MoO6 were synthesized by electrical polarizing method in presence of organic–inorganic composite films. Significantly, this poling process leads to the better photoactivity for degrade bisphenol A (BPA) and ciprofloxacin (CIP), catalyzing the generation of superoxide radicals (•O2–) and holes (h+) to removal pollutants either through the ferroelectric polarization effect. Meanwhile, the non-destructiveness during the entire polarization process helps maintain the crystal structure and morphology of the catalyst to achieve better photocatalytic performance. This present work not only provides a great route for preparation of various polarized ferroelectric semiconductors, but also indicates the potential of ferroelectric polarization for modification of semiconductors.