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Catalyst Design and Engineering for Enhanced Microplastic Degradation and Upcycling—A Review
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This review examined current approaches to microplastic degradation and upcycling, covering photocatalysis, biodegradation, and chemical conversion technologies. The authors identified key challenges in catalyst design and engineering needed to achieve efficient breakdown of microplastics at scale.
Microplastics (MPs), defined as synthetic polymer particles ranging from 1 μm to 5 mm, originate from various sources, including synthetic textiles, tire wear, degraded plastic waste, etc. Their small size and chemical stability make them challenging to remove, collect and degrade, posing significant adverse effects to both ecosystems and human health. While efforts to develop sustainable alternatives and removal methods are ongoing, effective solutions remain limited. Catalytic degradation and upcycling present a promising route to mitigate MP pollution by enabling efficient breakdown into less harmful molecules and potential upcycling into valuable products with lower energy requirements. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in catalyst design and development specifically for MP degradation, highlighting photochemical, thermal, biological, electrochemical, and hybrid approaches. Key challenges, reaction mechanisms, and future directions are discussed, offering a timely reference for researchers in this emerging field.
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Catalyst Design and Engineering for Enhanced Microplastic Degradation and Upcycling - A Review
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This review covers advances in catalyst design for microplastic degradation and upcycling, examining photocatalytic, Fenton-based, and enzymatic approaches. It evaluates the performance, scalability, and selectivity of different catalyst systems and discusses their potential for converting MP waste into useful chemical feedstocks.
Countering microplastics pollution with photocatalysis: Challenge and prospects
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This review summarized the use of photocatalysis for degrading microplastics, covering catalyst types, reaction mechanisms, and operational parameters, and discussing challenges including the stability of highly polymerized plastics and prospects for scaling photocatalytic treatment to address environmental microplastic pollution.
Mechanisms and the Engineering Approaches for the Degradation of Microplastics
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This review provided a comprehensive overview of current microplastic degradation methods, including mechanical, chemical, photocatalytic, and biological approaches, evaluating engineering strategies for efficient microplastic treatment and removal.
Photocatalytic Technologies for Transformation and Degradation of Microplastics in the Environment: Current Achievements and Future Prospects
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This review examines photocatalytic technologies that use light-activated materials to break down microplastics in the environment. Various catalysts can generate reactive oxygen species that degrade plastic polymers into simpler, less harmful molecules. The authors assess the strengths and limitations of different photocatalytic approaches and highlight the need for scalable solutions that work under real-world environmental conditions.
How to Build a Microplastics-Free Environment: Strategies for Microplastics Degradation and Plastics Recycling
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Researchers evaluated the sorption behavior of microplastics under freeze-thaw cycling conditions relevant to temperate and polar environments, finding that repeated freeze-thaw events modified particle surface chemistry and sorption capacity. These physical weathering processes altered contaminant-plastic interactions in ways that have implications for microplastic fate in seasonally frozen environments.
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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.