Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Preparation of high quality carbon nanotubes by catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics using FeNi-based catalyst

Researchers developed a method to produce high-quality carbon nanotubes from waste polyethylene plastics using iron-nickel catalysts. The study found that varying the catalyst composition affected nanotube quality and yield, demonstrating a promising approach for converting plastic waste into valuable nanomaterials rather than allowing it to persist as pollution.

2024 Waste Management 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Structure-oriented conversions of plastics to carbon nanomaterials

This review examines strategies for converting waste plastics into carbon nanomaterials including nanotubes, graphene, and porous carbon, highlighting how different plastic structures influence the resulting carbon products and offering a promising approach to reduce plastic pollution.

2022 Carbon Research 84 citations
Article Tier 2

From Waste to Worth: Upcycling Plastic into High-Value Carbon-Based Nanomaterials

This study reviewed innovative methods for converting plastic waste into high-value carbon-based nanomaterials like graphene and carbon nanotubes. Researchers examined several techniques including pyrolysis, chemical vapor deposition, and flash joule heating, finding that thermal decomposition is currently the most scalable approach for industrial applications. The study suggests that turning plastic waste into advanced materials could help address pollution while also creating economically valuable products.

2024 Polymers 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes from Plastic Waste Using a Stainless-Steel CVD Reactor as Catalyst

Carbon nanotubes were successfully synthesized from polypropylene plastic waste using a simple reactor, turning plastic waste into a high-value nanomaterial. This approach could provide an economically attractive way to deal with plastic waste while creating useful materials.

2017 Nanomaterials 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Flash Graphene from Plastic Waste.

This study demonstrates a method for converting mixed plastic waste into high-quality graphene using rapid electrical heating called flash Joule heating. The process requires no catalyst, works on mixed plastic waste including landfill material, and could offer an economically viable route to reduce plastic waste while producing a valuable material.

2020 ACS nano
Article Tier 2

Carbon nanotubes production from real-world waste plastics and the pyrolysis behaviour

Researchers produced carbon nanotubes from real-world waste plastics through pyrolysis, characterizing the thermal decomposition behavior of mixed plastic waste and demonstrating a valuable upcycling pathway for plastic pollution.

2023 Waste Management 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Catalytic transformation of microplastics to functional carbon for catalytic peroxymonosulfate activation: Conversion mechanism and defect of scavenging

Researchers developed a method to convert high-density polyethylene plastic waste into functional carbon materials that can activate peroxymonosulfate to break down organic pollutants in water. Using a salt template-based approach with nickel chloride, they produced carbon nanosheets with high catalytic efficiency. The study demonstrates a promising approach for upcycling plastic waste into useful water purification catalysts.

2023 Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Instant Upcycling of Microplastics into Graphene and Its Environmental Application

Researchers demonstrated a method for converting polyethylene microplastics into graphene using atmospheric pressure microwave plasma synthesis. The study suggests this one-step upcycling approach is more energy-efficient than traditional methods and produces graphene that shows strong adsorption capacity for environmental pollutants like perfluorooctanoic acid.

2024 Small Science 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydrogen and Carbon Nanotubes from Pyrolysis-Catalysis of Waste Plastics: A Review

This review examines how pyrolysis of waste plastics coupled with steam reforming or catalytic processes can produce hydrogen gas and high-quality carbon nanotubes, covering different reactor designs and catalyst types. The work highlights waste plastics as a potentially valuable feedstock for generating both clean energy and advanced carbon materials.

2020 Waste and Biomass Valorization 241 citations
Article Tier 2

Recycling waste sources into nanocomposites of graphene materials: Overview from an energy-focused perspective

Researchers reviewed how waste materials can be recycled into graphene-based nanocomposites for energy applications, contributing to a circular economy approach. The study surveyed all 120 publications in this field since the first study in 2012 and found growing interest in converting waste into useful carbon nanomaterials. The review highlights that while this waste-to-wealth approach shows promise for reducing pollution and creating valuable materials, more research is needed to control the quality of the resulting products.

2023 Nanotechnology Reviews 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Tandem microplastic degradation and hydrogen production by hierarchical carbon nitride-supported single-atom iron catalysts

Researchers developed an iron-based catalyst that can break down polyethylene plastic — including microplastics — into smaller organic molecules while simultaneously producing hydrogen fuel from the leftover products. This two-in-one approach achieved near-complete plastic degradation under neutral water conditions, suggesting a promising path to both cleaning up plastic pollution and generating clean energy.

2024 Nature Communications 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient catalytic upcycling of polyester and polycarbonate plastics using NNN-based iron catalyst

Researchers developed an efficient catalytic system using an NNN-based iron pincer catalyst to depolymerize polyester and polycarbonate plastics via hydrogenative methods, enabling either methanolysis into ester monomers or transfer hydrogenation into value-added products. The system provides an eco-friendly alternative for chemical upcycling of plastic waste, addressing the significant environmental burden of polyester accumulation.

2025
Article Tier 2

Upcycling Waste Plastics into Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composites via NiCo2O4 Catalytic Pyrolysis

Researchers used catalytic pyrolysis — heating plastic waste with metal catalysts — to convert post-consumer plastics into carbon nanotube composites, a high-value industrial material. Bimetallic nickel-cobalt catalysts produced the best results. This approach could help valorize plastic waste while reducing the volumes that end up in the environment as microplastic pollution.

2021 Catalysts 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Graphene and nanocomposites—Imprints on environmentally sustainable production and applications based on ecological aspects

This paper is not about microplastics — it reviews sustainable and green methods for synthesizing graphene and graphene nanocomposites, emphasizing ecological carbon sources, green solvents, and non-toxic reagents.

2024 Characterization and Application of Nanomaterials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Carbon Nanomaterials from Polyolefin Waste: Effective Catalysts for Quinoline Degradation through Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation

Researchers converted mixed polyolefin plastic waste into carbon nanomaterials and used them as catalysts for quinoline degradation through catalytic wet peroxide oxidation, achieving effective removal of this toxic compound. The approach simultaneously addresses plastic waste accumulation and wastewater treatment challenges using a circular chemistry strategy.

2023 Catalysts 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydrothermal Fenton-like process for dehydrochlorination and recovering of PVC pipe microplastics in aquatic systems

Researchers developed a hydrothermal Fenton-like process that achieved over 99% dechlorination of PVC microplastics under subcritical water conditions. The process converted the plastic into solid carbon products that retained most of the original carbon content and showed potential for conversion into graphene. The study provides a promising approach for both neutralizing the environmental hazards of PVC microplastics and recovering valuable carbon materials.

2026 Water Research
Article Tier 2

Advancements in catalysis for plastic resource utilization

This review examines catalytic strategies for converting plastic waste into value-added products and fuels, addressing how catalysis can improve the efficiency and selectivity of plastic valorization processes. The findings point to catalysis as essential for making plastic recycling and upcycling economically viable.

2023 Environmental Science Advances 19 citations
Article Tier 2

H2 Production from Real Wastes of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polylactic Acid using CNx/Ni2P Nanocatalyst

Researchers developed a photocatalytic process using a novel nanocatalyst to convert real plastic waste from PET bottles and PLA bioplastics into hydrogen gas. The process achieved maximum hydrogen yields of 124 and 267 micromol per gram for PET and PLA respectively, offering a dual benefit of plastic waste valorization and clean energy production.

2023 International Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Reviews 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic-derived substrate-grown carbon nanotubes as freestanding electrode for hydrogen evolution in alkaline media

Plastic waste was converted into carbon nanotubes via pyrolysis and used as a high-performance electrode for hydrogen production, demonstrating a circular economy pathway that transforms plastic pollution into a clean energy material.

2023
Article Tier 2

Upcycling of polyethylene to gasoline through a self-supplied hydrogen strategy in a layered self-pillared zeolite

Researchers developed a special zeolite material (a porous mineral catalyst) that converts polyethylene plastic waste into high-quality gasoline with over 80% yield, without needing expensive metals or added hydrogen. This breakthrough offers a practical pathway for recycling one of the most common plastics into usable fuel, potentially reducing plastic waste and reliance on fossil fuel extraction.

2024 Nature Chemistry 111 citations
Article Tier 2

Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a real mixture of post-consumer plastic waste: An analysis of the gasoline-range product

Researchers performed thermal and catalytic pyrolysis on real post-consumer plastic waste mixtures using various catalysts, finding that polymer type strongly influenced gas, liquid, and char yields, and that zeolite catalysts produced gasoline-range hydrocarbon liquids with commercially viable compositions from mixed plastic feedstocks.

2022 Process Safety and Environmental Protection 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Vacancy-rich NiFe-LDH/carbon paper as a novel self-supporting electrode for the electro-Fenton degradation of polyvinyl chloride microplastics

Researchers developed a novel electrode made from nickel-iron layered double hydroxide on carbon paper for breaking down PVC microplastics using an electro-Fenton process. The electrode efficiently generated hydroxyl radicals that degraded the microplastics into smaller, less harmful molecules. The study demonstrates that electrochemical methods could offer a sustainable, environmentally friendly approach to converting plastic waste into useful chemical products.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics-to-syngas photocatalysed by Co–Ga2O3 nanosheets

Researchers developed a solar-powered photocatalytic method using cobalt-gallium oxide nanosheets to convert non-recyclable plastic bags into renewable syngas at ambient conditions, simultaneously addressing plastic pollution and energy production.

2022 National Science Review 126 citations
Article Tier 2

Carbon Nanotube prepared by catalytic pyrolysis as the electrode for supercapacitors from polypropylene wasted face masks

Researchers converted discarded polypropylene face masks into carbon nanotubes via catalytic pyrolysis using nickel-iron bimetallic catalysts, producing a bamboo-like nanotube structure with high specific capacitance (56 F/g) and excellent cycling stability that performed well as a supercapacitor electrode material.

2022 Ionics 53 citations