Enabling PIEZOpotential in PIEZOelectric Semiconductors for Enhanced Catalytic Activities

The past several decades have witnessed significant advances in the synthesis and applications of PIEZOelectric semiconductors, an important class of materials, including piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and ferroelectric semiconductors. The intriguing combination of physical and chemical phenomena in PIEZOelectric semiconductors has triggered much interest in PIEZOcatalysis, that is, catalysis enabled by PIEZOpotential (i.e., piezopotential, pyropotential, and ferropotential)-induced built-in electric fields, which is the focus of this Minireview. First, the PIEZOelectric materials are briefly introduced. Second, recent developments in PIEZOcatalysis are highlighted, including the introduction of representative PIEZOelectric semiconductors, their possible catalytic mechanisms, novel techniques to produce their PIEZOelectric effects during the catalytic process, and several examples of PIEZOcatalysis. Finally, the challenges in the field and exciting opportunities to further improve the PIEZOcatalytic efficiency are discussed.