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Surface hydroxyl-rich BiOCl/TiO2 and microwave pretreatment synergistically promote photocatalytic degradation of high density polyethylene microplastics
Summary
Researchers developed a novel approach combining a surface hydroxyl-rich photocatalyst with microwave pretreatment to break down high-density polyethylene microplastics. The combined method achieved a 63% weight loss of the microplastics within 20 hours, roughly tripling the degradation rate compared to individual catalysts alone. The study suggests that disrupting the crystalline structure of plastics before photocatalytic treatment significantly improves their breakdown under mild conditions.
Solid-solid interfacial contact inefficiency between photocatalyst and microplastics (MPs) poses significant challenges for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of MPs. In this study, an innovative synergistic strategy was developed by combining a surface hydroxyl-enriched BiOCl/TiO heterojunction photocatalyst with microwave pretreatment, aiming to achieve a remarkable degradation rate of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) MPs under mild conditions. Comprehensive characterization confirmed that microwave pretreatment disrupted the crystalline structure of HDPE MPs, inducing surface defects, and reduced polymer chain entanglement, thereby significantly enhancing their susceptibility to photocatalytic degradation. When coupled with the BiOCl/TiO heterojunction photocatalyst, the microwave-pretreated HDPE MPs achieved a weight loss rate of 63.13 % within 20 h, corresponding to an increase of 2.94 and 2.5 times in degradation rate compared to pure BiOCl and TiO, respectively. Mechanistic investigations revealed that the enhanced performance originated from two synergistic effects: (1) the heterojunction structure promoted charge separation, effectively inhibiting electron-hole recombination, and (2) the hydroxyl-rich surface not only provided active sites for ·OH radical generation through h oxidation but also enhanced adsorption of fragmented organic intermediates via hydrogen bonding. Overall, this synergistic approach combining pretreatment with surface engineering provides new insights into the design of high-performance photocatalytic systems for recalcitrant polymer degradation.
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