Yttrium doped barium titanate (BT) nanofibres (NFs) with significant photocatalytic effect were successfully synthesized by electrospinning. Considering the necessary factors for semiconductor photocatalysts, a well‐designed procedure was carried out to produce yttrium doped BT (BYT) NFs. In contrast to BYT ceramics powders and BT NFs, BYT NFs with pure perovskite phase showed much enhanced performance of photocatalysis. The surface modification in electrospinning and subsequent annealing, the surface spreading of transition metal yttrium, and the narrowed band gap energy in yttrium doping were all contributed to the final novel photocatalytic effect. This work provides a direct and efficient route to obtain doped NFs, which has a wide range of potential applications in areas based on complex compounds with specific surface and special doping effect.

In sharp contrast to photocatalysis and other prevalent catalytic technologies, tribocatalysis has emerged as a promising technology to degrade high-concentration organic dyes in recent years. In this study, BaTiO₃ (BTO) nanoparticles were challenged to degrade methyl orange (MO) solutions with unprecedentedly high concentrations through magnetic stirring. With BTO nanoparticles and home-made PTFE magnetic rotary disks in 50 mg/L MO solutions, 10 h of magnetic stirring resulted in 91.4% and 98.1% degradations in an as-received glass beaker and in a beaker with a PTFE disk coated on its bottom, respectively. Even for 100 mg/L MO solutions, nearly complete degradation was achieved by magnetic-stirring-stimulated BTO nanoparticles in beakers with the following four kinds of bottom: 97.3% degradation in 30 h for a glass bottom, 97.4% degradation in 20 h for a PTFE coating, 97.9% degradation in 42 h for a Ti coating, and 97.4% degradation in 74 h for an Al₂O₃ coating. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analyses revealed that the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by magnetic-stirring-stimulated BTO nanoparticles is dramatically affected by the bottom material of beakers. These findings suggest an appealing prospect for BTO nanoparticles to utilize mechanical energy for sustainable water remediation.

The BiFeO₃ nanopowders were applied in the degradation of highly concentrated methyl orange dye through friction catalysis. The mechanism involves electron transitions, with the holes in the valence band participating in the degradation process.

Coating disk-shaped materials on the bottoms of containers has become a highly effective method for tribocatalysis enhancement. Here, the effects of Ti coatings on the tribocatalytic degradation of organic dyes by CdS nanoparticles were systematically studied. For both 50 mg/L rhodamine B (RhB) and 20 mg/L methyl orange (MO) solutions, the tribocatalytic degradation by CdS nanoparticles was dramatically enhanced in Ti-coated beakers compared to as-received glass-bottomed beakers, with the degradation rate constant increased by 4.77 and 5.21 times, respectively. Moreover, for tribocatalytic degradation of MO using CdS, two quite different MO degradation modes were identified between Ti and Al₂O₃ coatings. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy analyses showed that more radicals were generated when CdS nanoparticles rubbed against the Ti coating than against the glass bottom, and boron nitride nanoparticles were employed to verify that the enhancement associated with the Ti coating resulted from the interactions between Ti and CdS. These findings underscore the importance of catalyst and coating material selection in tribocatalytic systems, offering valuable insights for the development of efficient environmental purification technologies.

YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x (YBCO) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via a soft chemical approach and they were found photocatalytically active at room temperature. Using metal acetate as precursors, a well‐designed soft chemical procedure was carried out to produce YBCO NPs. The very small particle size and/or large number of defects might have led the NPs to semiconductors with vigorous photocatalytic activities. This work provides a direct and efficient route to obtain multifunction in YBCO based nanomaterials which are based on specific size and surface effects.

This study presents a waste-valorization strategy by developing calcined natural shell particles (CNSP) derived from waste oyster shells as an efficient tribocatalyst for degrading high-concentration organic pollutants, a challenge for which conventional photocatalytic approaches are hindered by light shielding. The CNSP catalyst, confirmed as calcite CaCO₃ with low surface area and stable crystalline structure, demonstrated exceptional efficacy in degrading Rhodamine B (RhB) solutions across a wide concentration range (50–300 mg/L) under mechanical friction, achieving 99% removal of 50 mg/L RhB in 1 h and 300 mg/L RhB in 18 h with a 0.5 g catalyst. This catalyst maintained a degradation efficiency of over 95% in a continuous six-cycle process. Mechanistic studies revealed that the tribocatalytic process generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), primarily hydroxyl ($•\mathrm{O}\mathrm{H}$) and superoxide ($•{{\mathrm{O}}_2}^{-}$) radicals, which drive the decomposition of dye molecules. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy directly confirmed the generation of these radicals. These findings establish CNSP as a promising, low-cost, and environmentally benign catalyst for wastewater treatment. This work not only provides a novel strategy for high-concentration dye removal but also reduces the environmental burden of aquaculture shell disposal. Further work is needed to evaluate its performance in real industrial effluents and with mixed pollutants.