Piezoelectric Catalysis Coupled with Persulfate in Wastewater Treatment, Energy, and Resource Utilization

Dear Colleagues,

Mechanical stress and ultrasound are ubiquitous in water infrastructures, yet their chemical potential remains largely untapped. Piezoelectric catalysts generate transient internal electric fields that can activate persulfate (PMS/PDS) in situ, producing sulfate and hydroxyl radicals without external electrodes or light sources. This synergy opens a low-carbon pathway for simultaneous pollutant mineralization, energy generation, and selective recovery of valuable elements from complex effluents.

This Special Issue welcomes original research, short communications, and critical reviews addressing the following:

• Design of piezoelectric nanostructures (BaTiO₃, ZnO, MoS₂, MoSe₂, PVDF composites) optimized for persulfate activation under vibration, flow, or ultrasound.
• Mechanistic studies coupling piezopotential mapping, in situ EPR, DFT calculations, and kinetic isotope effects to clarify radical vs. non-radical pathways.
• Applications in advanced oxidation of pharmaceuticals, PFAS, dyes, and heavy-metal complexed wastewaters.
• Piezo-persulfate systems for simultaneous H₂ evolution, CO₂ reduction, or NH₄⁺ recovery.
• Scale-up strategies: membrane reactors, self-powered modules, life-cycle and techno-economic assessments.

By integrating piezoelectric catalysis with persulfate chemistry, this issue aims to chart a roadmap toward mechanically driven, chemical-free water treatment and resource recovery technologies.

Dr. Qiang Zhong
Prof. Dr. Shaogui Yang
Guest Editors

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