This study investigates the piezophotocatalytic (PPhC) performance of electrospun nanofibrous membranes composed of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles. The composite membranes were synthesized via electrospinning, with optimized parameters to promote β-phase crystallinity and uniform fiber morphology. Structural and phase analyses by SEM, FTIR, Raman, and XPS confirmed the predominance of the electroactive β-phase (99.8%) in the composite, as well as strong interfacial interaction between Fe3O4 and the PVDF matrix. The composites exhibited significantly enhanced surface hydrophilicity and piezoelectric response compared to pristine PVDF. The piezoelectric potential generation was confirmed using a flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG), where a 3 × 1 cm membrane generated output voltages up to ∼2 V under periodic mechanical deformation at 4 Hz. Photocatalytic and piezophotocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) was carried out under UV and visible light at varying ultrasonic frequencies. Maximum PPhC efficiency was achieved at 40 kHz, with 93% dye degradation in 60 min and a reaction rate constant exceeding the sum of photocatalysis and piezocatalysis by 13%, indicating a pronounced synergistic effect. Reactive oxygen species trapping and fluorescence spectroscopy confirmed •OH as the dominant oxidant. H2O2 productivity under PPhC reached 1700 μmol·g-1·h-1 in pure water, with a light-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency of 0.26%. Additionally, experiments conducted under an alternating magnetic field (0.3 T, 1.3 Hz) demonstrated 50% MB degradation within 240 min, revealing the contribution of magnetoelectric coupling as an alternative catalytic activation mechanism. The results suggest that PVDF/Fe3O4 nanocomposites are highly promising for multifunctional catalytic applications, combining piezoelectric, photo-, and magnetoelectric activation for efficient water purification and green oxidant production.

• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Highly porous membranes based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with the addition of nanoscale particles of non-magnetic and magnetic iron oxides were synthesized using a combined method of non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) and thermo-induced phase separation (TIPS) based on the technique developed by Dr. Blade. The obtained membranes were characterized using SEM, EDS, XRD, IR, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and fluorescent microscopy. It was shown that the membranes possessed a high fraction of electroactive phase, which increased up to a maximum of 96% with the addition of 2 wt% of α-Fe2O3 and α/γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. It was demonstrated that doping PVDF with nanoparticles contributed to the reduction of pore size in the membrane. All membranes exhibited piezocatalytic activity in the degradation of Rhodamine B. The degree of degradation increased from 69% when using pure PVDF membrane to 90% when using the composite membrane. The nature of the additive did not affect the piezocatalytic activity. It was determined that the main reactive species responsible for the degradation of Rhodamine B were •OH and •O2-. It was also shown that under piezocatalytic conditions, composite membranes generated a piezopotential of approximately 2.5 V.

• Keywords
• NIPS, PVDF, Rhodamine B, TIPS, membrane, piezocatalysis, piezopotential, polyvinylidene fluoride, α-Fe2O3, γ-Fe2O3,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH