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Influence of hydrogen peroxide on isotactic polypropylene degradation into micro/nano-plastics under thermal oxidative reaction
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Researchers found that hydrogen peroxide under high-pressure hydrothermal conditions can accelerate the thermal-oxidative degradation of isotactic polypropylene, with concentrations of 27% or higher achieving complete mineralization and lower concentrations producing controlled fragmentation into micro- and nanoplastics with tunable surface oxidation.
Abstract Environmental plastic pollution remains a major global concern due to the slow oxidative degradation of micro- and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs). This study explores rapid thermal–oxidative degradation of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) using hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) under high-pressure hydrothermal conditions to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Complete mineralization occurred at ≥ 27% H 2 O 2 , while 3–21% induced controlled fragmentation into MPs/NPs with tunable surface oxidation. SEM, FT-IR, XPS, DSC, and Py-GC/MS analyses confirmed chain scission, formation of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups, reduced crystallinity, and suppression of propylene trimer formation. Pressurized hydrothermal conditions enhanced oxidation kinetics, shortening degradation from years to hours. Overall, high-pressure H 2 O 2 oxidation effectively accelerates polymer breakdown and limits secondary pollutants, presenting a promising route for sustainable MPs/NPs removal in aquatic systems. Graphical abstract
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Heterogeneous polymers degradation – microplastic
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This study analyzed the thermo-oxidative degradation mechanism of isotactic polypropylene, a common plastic that breaks down into microplastics. Oxidation proceeds primarily in the amorphous regions of the polymer, leading to chain scission, embrittlement, and eventual fragmentation into small pieces. Understanding this degradation chemistry helps predict how polypropylene plastic waste becomes microplastics in the environment.
Rapid oxidative fragmentation of polypropylene with pH control in seawater for preparation of realistic reference microplastics
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Researchers developed a method to produce realistic reference microplastics by rapidly fragmenting polypropylene through oxidative treatment in seawater with pH control, and characterized the resulting particles using SEM/EDX to confirm their similarity to environmentally weathered microplastics.
Degradation of polypropylene : proportion of microplastics formed and assessment of their density.
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Researchers quantified the proportion of microplastics generated during UV-driven degradation of polypropylene and assessed changes in chemical composition caused by photooxidation. The study found that UV exposure progressively fragments polypropylene and alters its surface chemistry, affecting subsequent environmental behavior and toxicity.
Degradation of polypropylene : proportion of microplastics formed and assessment of their density.
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This study quantified microplastic formation during UV degradation of polypropylene and characterized the chemical changes in the polymer structure caused by photooxidation. UV exposure was shown to generate new particles and alter chemical composition in ways that may change microplastic toxicity and environmental behavior.
Photooxidative degradation and fragmentation behaviors of oriented isotactic polypropylene
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Laboratory simulations showed that highly crystalline and oriented polypropylene films degrade more slowly under UV exposure and fragment into larger microplastic particles, while less crystalline films break down faster into smaller, more numerous fragments. Polymer crystallinity and molecular orientation are key determinants of how quickly plastics generate microplastics and what size distribution those particles take—factors directly relevant to predicting environmental MP loading from different plastic products.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.