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Photocatalytic degradation of different types of microplastics by TiOx/ZnO tetrapod photocatalysts
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Researchers tested titania-coated zinc oxide tetrapod photocatalysts for breaking down polyethylene microparticles and polyester microfibers under UV light. They found that the shape of the microplastics significantly affected degradation speed, and that adding electron scavengers was necessary to maintain the catalyst's effectiveness over time. Complete breakdown of both plastic types was achieved, though it required hundreds of hours of UV exposure.
We investigated the use of titania coated ZnO tetrapods for photocatalytic degradation of two common types of microplastics, namely polyethylene (PE) microparticles and polyester (PES) microfibers. We found that the plastics morphology affects the rate of degradation, and that the use of electron scavengers is needed to maintain the reactivity of the photocatalysts over a prolonged period of time. Complete mass loss of PE and PES is achieved under UV illumination for 480 h and 624 h, respectively. In addition to pristine microplastics, the degradation of environmental microplastics sample (consisting primarily of polypropylene) was also demonstrated, though in this case longer degradation time (∼816 h) was needed to achieve complete mass loss of the samples.
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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.