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First Insights into Photocatalytic Degradation of HDPE and LDPE Microplastics by a Mesoporous N–TiO2 Coating: Effect of Size and Shape of Microplastics
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A nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide photocatalyst successfully degraded high-density and low-density polyethylene microplastics under visible light, with smaller particles showing greater degradation than larger ones or film-shaped particles. The study establishes a foundation for visible-light photocatalysis as a potential strategy for removing microplastics from water.
Microplastics (MPs), which are small plastic debris of ≤5 mm size, are polluting the oceans with negative consequences for their biota. In this work, visible-light photocatalysis of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) MPs in aqueous medium using a mesoporous N–TiO2 coating is proposed as an alternative for fighting MP pollution. Spherical primary HDPE MPs were extracted from commercially available facial scrubs, while film-shaped secondary LDPE MPs were obtained from a plastic bag. For each plastic, two different sizes were tested. Degradation was measured by mass-loss and carbonyl-index (CI) calculation. The results obtained reveal that the photocatalytic degradation of HDPE and LDPE MPs using an N–TiO2 coating was affected by the size and shape of the MPs. Smaller MPs led to higher degradation, while film-shaped MPs led to lower degradation that was related to a poorly illuminated and oxygenated reaction medium. These results set the basis for further investigation on the on the design of more effective photocatalytic-reaction systems for decreasing MP inputs to the environment.
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