Ferroelectric ceramics and glass ceramics for photocatalysis

The photocatalysis process using nonferroelectric semiconductor photocatalysts can be of low efficiency due to the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers; namely free electrons and holes. Recently, ferroelectric-based photocatalyst materials have emerged as a solution to mitigate the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, which is associated with the presence of their inherent spontaneous polarization. Recently, these ferroelectric materials have shown superior photocatalytic performance in a variety of environmental applications, including organic dye degradation, bacterial disinfection, and water splitting. This chapter introduces the basic fundamental properties of ferroelectric ceramics and glass ceramics and is followed by a detailed review of their use in various environmental applications that use the photocatalysis process. Finally, the limitations and future scope of photocatalytic active ferroelectric ceramics and glass ceramics are discussed.