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Brookite TiO2 as an active photocatalyst for photoconversion of plastic wastes to acetic acid and simultaneous hydrogen production: Comparison with anatase and rutile
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Researchers found that a specific form of titanium dioxide called brookite can use sunlight to simultaneously break down PET plastic waste and produce hydrogen fuel. The process converts microplastics in water into acetic acid (vinegar), offering a way to both clean up plastic pollution and generate clean energy. This technology could eventually help address microplastic contamination in water while producing a useful byproduct.
Photoreforming is a clean photocatalytic technology for simultaneous plastic waste degradation and hydrogen fuel production, but there are still limited active and stable catalysts for this process. This work introduces the brookite polymorph of TiO as an active photocatalyst for photoreforming with an activity higher than anatase and rutile polymorphs for both hydrogen production and plastic degradation. Commercial brookite successfully converts polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic to acetic acid under light. The high activity of brookite is attributed to good charge separation, slow decay and moderate electron trap energy, which lead to a higher generation of hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals and accordingly enhanced photo-oxidation of PET plastic. These results introduce brookite as a stable and active catalyst for the photoconversion of water contaminated with microplastics to value-added organic compounds and hydrogen.
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