Critical Influence of Morphology Regulation on the Piezocatalytic Mechanism in SnSe

Two-dimensional (2D) piezoelectric catalysts hold significant potential for environmental remediation. However, the comparative analysis of aspect ratios in different directions remains unexplored, and the structure-activity relationship in 2D piezoelectric materials is still ambiguous, limiting catalytic activity improvements and technological applications. Herein, SnSe piezoelectric catalysts with high aspect ratios along different directions were synthesized to investigate their efficacy in organic pollutant degradation. Lamellar SnSe exhibited superior catalytic activity compared to its rod-like counterparts, with superoxide and hydroxyl radicals identified as the dominant reactive species. Furthermore, the piezoelectric properties associated with continuous aspect ratio modulation in different directions were systematically simulated and analyzed. The thickness modulation with an exponential pattern was identified as the most effective strategy for tailoring the piezoelectric properties. This work provides fundamental insights into the correlation between the structural parameters of 2D piezoelectric catalysts and their pollutant degradation efficiency, paving the way for the rational design of high-performance piezoelectric catalytic systems.