Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

TiO2-based photocatalysts for the degradation of microplastics in aquatic environments

Researchers synthesized TiO2-based photocatalysts via sol-gel and hydrothermal methods and characterized their morphology and photocatalytic properties for the degradation of microplastics in aqueous environments, optimizing catalyst formulations to improve efficiency and assessing their potential as an environmentally friendly advanced treatment for waterborne microplastic pollution.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the efficiency of several TiO2 microstructures for the photocatalytic degradation of nanoplastics.

This study tested the efficiency of several TiO2 microstructures as photocatalysts for degrading nanoplastics in aquatic environments. Results identified the most effective TiO2 configurations for breaking down sub-micron plastic fragments under light exposure.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the efficiency of several TiO2 microstructures for the photocatalytic degradation of nanoplastics.

Researchers tested the efficiency of multiple titanium dioxide microstructures for photocatalytic degradation of nanoplastics in aquatic environments, addressing the growing problem of sub-micron plastic fragments in global water systems. TiO2-based photocatalysis showed varying effectiveness depending on catalyst structure and particle properties.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

TiO2-Based Photocatalysis for Plastic Degradation

This review examines TiO2-based photocatalysis as a strategy for degrading macroplastics, microplastics, and nanoplastics, highlighting TiO2's advantages of high activity, low cost, and availability. The paper addresses the social justice dimension of plastic pollution, noting that vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected, and evaluates TiO2 photocatalytic degradation mechanisms and performance for a range of plastic types.

2024 ACS symposium series 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution reduction by a carbon and nitrogen-doped TiO2: Effect of pH and temperature in the photocatalytic degradation process

Scientists tested a carbon and nitrogen-doped TiO2 photocatalyst for degrading microplastics and found that degradation efficiency depended strongly on pH and temperature, with optimal conditions achieving significant surface mineralization of tested polymer types.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 432 citations
Article Tier 2

Advanced TiO2-based catalysts for polypropylene degradation in aquatic media

Researchers developed TiO2-based catalysts enhanced with zinc and cerium oxides to degrade polypropylene microplastics in water under UV light. The best-performing catalyst achieved roughly 6-8% degradation of microplastic surface area, with slightly lower effectiveness in wastewater compared to pure water. The study demonstrates a photocatalytic approach to breaking down one of the most common microplastics found in aquatic environments.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradation of Emerging Plastic Pollutants from Aquatic Environments Using TiO2 and Their Composites in Visible Light Photocatalysis

This review examines how titanium dioxide-based photocatalysts can degrade microplastics and nanoplastics under visible light conditions. Researchers found that while some composite materials achieved complete degradation of polystyrene particles, overall effectiveness remains limited at the laboratory scale. The study identifies key challenges and proposes future directions for developing more efficient photocatalytic approaches to plastic pollution remediation in water.

2025 Molecules 6 citations
Article Tier 2

TiO₂-based photocatalytic degradation of microplastics in water: Current status, challenges and future perspectives

This review examines how titanium dioxide-based materials can break down microplastics in water using light energy, generating reactive molecules that dismantle plastic polymer chains. While promising, the technology still faces challenges with efficiency and potential harmful byproducts, and more research is needed before it can be used at scale to clean microplastics from real-world water supplies.

2025 Journal of Water Process Engineering 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Current Approach to Develop TiO2 Thin Film as Photocatalysts for Low-Density Plastic Degradation

This review covers titanium dioxide thin-film photocatalysts as a method for breaking down low-density polyethylene plastic waste using light energy. While photocatalysis shows promise for degrading plastic into carbon dioxide and water, challenges remain in scaling up the process and achieving complete mineralization of complex plastic materials.

2021 Nature Environment and Pollution Technology
Article Tier 2

First Insights into Photocatalytic Degradation of HDPE and LDPE Microplastics by a Mesoporous N–TiO2 Coating: Effect of Size and Shape of Microplastics

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.

2020 Coatings 205 citations
Article Tier 2

Photodegradation of polyethylene debris in water by sulfur-doped TiO2: system optimization, degradation mechanism, and reusability

This study optimized the photodegradation of polyethylene bag debris in water using sulfur-doped titanium dioxide as a photocatalyst, finding that controlling pH, catalyst dose, and polyethylene concentration improved degradation efficiency. The results offer a promising approach for breaking down plastic waste in water environments.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Integration of Photocatalysis and Membrane Technology as a Hybrid System for Microplastic Degradation in Wastewater

Researchers evaluated a hybrid system combining TiO2 photocatalysis with membrane filtration for degrading microplastics in wastewater. The photocatalytic membrane reactor demonstrated effective removal and degradation of polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET microplastics, suggesting that integrated photocatalytic-membrane systems could improve microplastic removal beyond what conventional wastewater treatment achieves.

2026 Science Get Journal.
Article Tier 2

Unravelling the photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene microplastics with TiO2 under UV light: Evidence from kinetic studies

Researchers demonstrated that a titanium dioxide photocatalyst under UV light can break down polyethylene microplastics, achieving 34% mass loss in 8 hours and up to 54% over five treatment cycles. The process physically shrank the particles and chemically transformed them into simpler compounds like short-chain acids and carbon dioxide. While not yet ready for large-scale use, this technology could eventually help degrade microplastics in water treatment systems.

2025 Chemical Engineering Journal 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic vision on polypropylene microplastics degradation by solar radiation using TiO2 nanoparticle as photocatalyst

Researchers demonstrated that titanium dioxide nanoparticles acting as a photocatalyst under sunlight can degrade polypropylene microplastics in water. After 50 hours of exposure, the microplastics lost about 50% of their weight as the sunlight-activated catalyst broke down the plastic's chemical structure. The study offers a potential approach for using solar-powered photocatalysis to address microplastic contamination in aquatic environments.

2023 Environmental Research 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene microplastics by copper-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles

Researchers investigated photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene microplastics using copper-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles as an efficient approach to breaking down aquatic plastic pollution, addressing the limitations of conventional removal methods that only achieve surface-level reduction.

2025 Chemosphere
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollutant Degradation in Water Using Modified TiO2 Photocatalyst Under UV-Irradiation

This study tested modified titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysts for their ability to degrade microplastic pollutants in water using light-driven oxidation. Modified TiO2 showed improved photocatalytic activity against microplastics compared to unmodified TiO2, which suffers from limited efficiency under visible light.

2021 IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Modified TiO2 and ZnO photocatalysts for microplastic degradation: mechanisms, challenges, and recent advances

This review examines recent advances in using modified titanium dioxide and zinc oxide photocatalysts to degrade microplastics in the environment. Researchers summarized the mechanisms by which these catalysts break down plastic particles when activated by light, as well as the challenges that remain for practical application. The study suggests that photocatalytic degradation is a promising approach for addressing microplastic pollution, though significant technical hurdles still need to be overcome.

2026 Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences
Article Tier 2

Countering microplastics pollution with photocatalysis: Challenge and prospects

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.

2023 Progress in Natural Science Materials International 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of LDPE microplastics using TiO2-kaolinite and TiO2-montmorillonite nanomaterials

Researchers enhanced the photocatalytic degradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) microplastics by developing TiO2-kaolinite and TiO2-montmorillonite nanocomposite materials, testing their effectiveness as part of efforts to address the ~300 million tonnes of plastic produced annually that accumulates in the environment.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Identification of the reactive species involved in the photocatalytic degradation of PE microplastics

Researchers investigated the reactive oxygen species responsible for photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene microplastics using C,N-TiO2, employing tert-butanol, isopropyl alcohol, Tiron, and copper nitrate as scavengers for hydroxyl radicals, holes, superoxide, and electrons respectively. Results revealed that free hydroxyl radicals generated via specific pathways play the primary role in PE microplastic degradation, advancing understanding of photocatalysis as a water treatment strategy for microplastic remediation.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Prospects of TiO2-based photocatalytic degradation of microplastic leachates related disposable facemask, a major COVID-19 waste

This review assessed the potential of TiO2-based photocatalysis to degrade microplastic leachates from disposable face masks, which became a major COVID-19 waste source. The authors identified photocatalytic treatment as a promising approach but noted challenges around treatment efficiency and the complex chemical composition of mask-derived leachates.

2022 Frontiers in Nanotechnology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Complete Photocatalytic Mineralization of Microplastic on TiO2 Nanoparticle Film

Scientists tested TiO2 nanoparticle films as a photocatalytic treatment for microplastics and found complete mineralization of polystyrene and polyethylene microspheres under UV irradiation, offering a potential destruction pathway for microplastic pollution.

2020 iScience 402 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of Nano-Composite Ag/TiO2 for Polyethylene Microplastic Degradation Applications

Ag/TiO2 nano-composites were synthesized using a Photo Assisted Deposition method to evaluate their ability to degrade polyethylene microplastics in drinking water. The nano-composites showed effective photocatalytic degradation of microplastic particles across different particle sizes.

2021 IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering 73 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Advances in Photocatalytic Degradation of Emerging Microplastics: A Systematic Review

This systematic review summarizes advances in using light-activated chemical processes to break down microplastics in the environment. The research shows that photocatalysis, especially using titanium dioxide, is a promising method for destroying microplastics without creating harmful byproducts, though more work is needed to speed up the process for real-world use.

2025 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 1 citations