Unveiling the Mechanism of Frictional Catalysis in Water by Bi 12 TiO 20 : A Charge Transfer and Contaminant Decomposition Path Study.

Tribocatalysis, as a new approach in environmental purification, has drawn increasing attention in the past few years. In this work, we successfully convert mechanical energy to chemical energy by BiTiO, which was synthesized by a hydrothermal method. Under magnetic stirring, electrons transfer from the surface of BiTiO to the polytetrafluoroethylene-sealed magnetic bar due to their friction. Moreover, the holes that remain on BiTiO provide oxidation properties in the process for organic matter degradation. According to a series of tests, it is noticed that the shape of the stirring bar and the material of the reaction vessel have a remarkable influence on the removal efficiency of contaminants. Simultaneously, multiple tests reveal the high stability of BiTiO. A great potential for BiTiO to control water pollutants under dark conditions during collection of ambient mechanical energy was clearly demonstrated in this study.