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Chemoenzymatic Photoreforming: A Sustainable Approach for Solar-fuel Generation from Plastic Feedstocks
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Researchers developed a hybrid process combining enzyme pretreatment with solar-driven photoreforming to convert polyester plastic waste into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable chemicals under mild conditions. This approach offers a way to clean up plastic pollution while generating renewable energy simultaneously.
Plastic upcycling through catalytic transformations is an attractive concept to valorise waste. However, the clean and energy-efficient production of high-value products from plastics remains challenging. We introduce chemoenzymatic photoreforming, a new process coupling enzymatic pre-treatment and solar-driven reforming of polyester plastics under mild temperature and pH to produce clean H2 and value-added chemicals. Chemoenzymatic photoreforming demonstrates versatility in upcycling polyester films and nanoplastics to produce H2 at high yields reaching ~103‒104 µmol gsub–1 and activities at >500 µmol gcat–1 h–1. Enzyme-treated plastics were also used for the first time for photocatalytic CO2-to-syngas conversion with a phosphonated cobalt bis(terpyridine) catalyst immobilised on TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2|CotpyP). Finally, techno-economic analyses reveal that the chemoenzymatic photoreforming approach has the potential to drastically reduce green H2 production costs to levels comparable to market prices of H2 produced from fossil fuels while maintaining low CO2-equivalent emissions.
More Papers Like This
Chemoenzymatic Photoreforming: A Sustainable Approach for Solar Fuel Generation from Plastic Feedstocks
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Researchers developed a process combining enzyme treatment with solar-powered chemistry to break down polyester plastics into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable chemicals. The enzymatic step first breaks the plastic into smaller molecules under mild conditions, and then sunlight drives the conversion into useful products. The study demonstrates a sustainable way to upcycle plastic waste, including nanoplastics, using renewable energy rather than harsh industrial processes.
Comprehensive Insights into Photoreforming of Waste Plastics for Hydrogen Production
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This review examines photocatalytic "photoreforming" — a solar-powered process that breaks down waste plastics while simultaneously generating hydrogen fuel and useful chemical byproducts. Recent advances in catalyst design, including semiconductor materials and metal-organic frameworks, are analyzed alongside factors like light intensity and pH that affect hydrogen output. This dual-purpose approach could help address both the global plastic waste crisis and the need for clean energy simultaneously.
Photoreforming of PET and PLA microplastics for sustainable hydrogen production using TiO2 and g-C3N4 photocatalysts
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Researchers used photoreforming—a light-driven process—to break down PET and PLA microplastics while simultaneously generating hydrogen gas, demonstrating a dual-benefit approach that addresses plastic pollution while producing clean energy from waste plastic.
Mini-review on remediation of plastic pollution through photoreforming: progress, possibilities, and challenges.
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This mini-review examines photoreforming — a solar-powered process that converts plastic waste into valuable chemicals and hydrogen fuel — as a promising approach to reducing plastic pollution while generating clean energy. The authors review progress in the technology, assess remaining challenges such as efficiency and scalability, and place it in the context of other plastic waste remediation strategies.
From Plastic Waste to Green Hydrogen and Valuable Chemicals Using Sunlight and Water
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Researchers demonstrated that plastic waste can be photoreformed using sunlight and water to simultaneously produce green hydrogen and valuable organic chemicals, achieving plastic valorization and energy generation without the high temperatures required by conventional thermochemical recycling.
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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.