Advances on piezocatalysis and tribocatalysis in energy conversion field: performance, mechanisms, applications and beyond

This review summarizes the latest advances in piezocatalysis and tribocatalysis for energy conversion, describing the challenges, potential development directions, and prospects. First, it overviews the evolution and development trends of piezocatalysis and tribocatalysis, the types of mechanical energy, the synthesis methods used to prepare piezocatalysts and tribocatalysts, and the underlying microscopic catalytic mechanisms. Second, it categorizes the catalytic applications, emphasizing recent breakthroughs in key areas such as water splitting for hydrogen production, nitrogen fixation for ammonia synthesis, carbon dioxide reduction, and hydrogen peroxide generation. This section highlights challenges across different application sectors, strategies for catalyst design, and methods for enhancing catalytic performance through microstructure control. Finally, this review discusses recent advances and the development roadmap of piezocatalysis and tribocatalysis, addressing current challenges and outlining potential trajectories for future research.