Piezocatalysis: Concepts, Advances, and Opportunities.

Abstract

Piezocatalysis has recently emerged as a distinct paradigm of force-driven catalysis, in which mechanical stress applied to piezoelectric materials induces internal electric fields that activate redox reactions under mild conditions. This mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion offers a new catalytic activation mode, particularly suited for scenarios where conventional stimuli are unavailable or undesirable. Over the past decade, substantial progress has been achieved in elucidating fundamental mechanisms, advancing material platforms, and demonstrating functional applications spanning environmental remediation, sustainable energy conversion, and biomedical therapies. Despite these advances, the field still lacks an integrated framework that connects fundamental concepts, mechanistic models, material design, performance optimization, standardized evaluation and benchmarking, and practical applications. This review establishes such a framework by systematically integrating these elements into a coherent structure for understanding, evaluating, and advancing piezocatalysis. Throughout, we place particular emphasis on what evidence is required to identify genuine piezocatalysis, how catalytic performance should be benchmarked under different mechanical inputs, and how conventional piezoelectric parameters relate to catalytic activity. We further discuss representative applications and outline remaining challenges and future opportunities, aiming to advance piezocatalysis from laboratory demonstrations toward reliable, efficient, and practical catalytic processes.