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From waste to energy - Photocatalytic anaerobic degradation of microplastics to generate hydrogen
Summary
Researchers demonstrated that microplastics can serve as a hydrogen source in photocatalytic reactions under anaerobic conditions. Using titanium dioxide as a catalyst and UV light, microplastic particles generated hydrogen gas, providing a potential route for converting plastic waste into clean energy. This proof-of-concept opens new possibilities for treating microplastic waste while producing renewable fuel.
Microplastics are very prominent pollutants in our environment, and the reduction of microplastics waste in a huge task for our society. Here, microplastics are used as hydrogen source to generate the green energy carrier hydrogen from anaerobic photocatalysis. Using P25 TiO2 as typical photocatalyst, we show that as used model microplastics can act as solid sources for hydrogen. The highest hydrogen evolution rate was observed when LDPE or PET were used, leading to stable hydrogen evolution for several hours.
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