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Eco-Friendly Solar-Powered H2 Generation from Plastic Waste Using Earth-Abundant Cu-Doped ZnS Catalysts
Summary
Plastic waste could potentially be converted into clean hydrogen fuel using sunlight and a catalyst, offering a way to both reduce plastic pollution and generate renewable energy. This study developed a copper-doped zinc sulfide photocatalyst — made from earth-abundant, non-toxic materials — that can break down plastic waste dissolved in alkaline solution under visible light, producing hydrogen gas at a promising rate. While still at the laboratory stage, solar-powered plastic-to-hydrogen conversion could eventually offer a sustainable alternative to simply landfilling or burning plastic waste.
The photoreforming of plastics into fuel and small organic molecules at ambient temperature presents a sustainable alternative to landfills and incineration. However, most existing photocatalysts depend on noble or toxic metals, limiting their environmental compatibility. Here, we present a non-toxic, eco-friendly Cu-doped ZnS photocatalyst synthesized via a simple one-pot wet chemical method for efficient plastic waste conversion in an alkaline solution. This earth-abundant catalyst exhibits broad visible light absorption and exceptional charge transfer efficiency, enabling high photocatalytic activity. By optimizing Cu doping levels, we achieve a promising H2 generation rate of 201.5 μmol g-1 h-1. We elucidate the photoreforming mechanism, paving the way for scalable and sustainable plastic upcycling.