Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Recovering hydrogen from PS, LDPE and HDPE microplastics via UV-driven photolysis and TiO2-based photocatalysis

Scientists used UV light — both direct photolysis and titanium dioxide photocatalysis — to break down polystyrene, LDPE, and HDPE microplastics and capture the released hydrogen gas as a potential clean fuel. The dataset documents hydrogen yields and conditions across the different plastic types and treatment methods. This approach could offer a dual benefit: destroying plastic waste while generating renewable hydrogen energy.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Recovering hydrogen from PS, LDPE and HDPE microplastics via UV-driven photolysis and TiO2-based photocatalysis

This is a preprint data entry for the same UV photocatalysis microplastic-to-hydrogen research as ID 1873, providing the underlying experimental report on TiO2-assisted breakdown of polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics under UVC light. Duplicate/companion entry; the research explores whether plastic pollution can be converted into hydrogen fuel as a remediation-plus-energy strategy.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

From waste to energy - Photocatalytic anaerobic degradation of microplastics to generate hydrogen

Researchers demonstrated that microplastics can serve as a hydrogen source in photocatalytic reactions under anaerobic conditions. Using titanium dioxide as a catalyst and UV light, microplastic particles generated hydrogen gas, providing a potential route for converting plastic waste into clean energy. This proof-of-concept opens new possibilities for treating microplastic waste while producing renewable fuel.

2023
Article Tier 2

Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production from Polystyrene Nanoplastics Using Pd/TiO2 Nanoparticles

Researchers developed a light-driven photocatalyst using palladium on titanium dioxide nanoparticles that can simultaneously break down polystyrene nanoplastics and produce hydrogen gas. The best-performing catalyst generated significant hydrogen output while also reducing the size of the plastic particles. The study demonstrates a dual-benefit approach that could address nanoplastic water pollution while generating clean energy.

2025 ACS Applied Nano Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Visible-Light-DrivenPhotocatalytic Hydrogen Productionfrom Polystyrene Nanoplastics Using Pd/TiO2 Nanoparticles

Researchers developed a palladium-modified titanium dioxide photocatalyst that degrades polystyrene nanoplastics under visible light while simultaneously producing green hydrogen, finding that the plastic itself was necessary as a fuel source for hydrogen evolution.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

From waste to energy - Photocatalytic anaerobic degradation of microplastics to generate hydrogen

Researchers demonstrated that microplastic particles can serve as solid hydrogen sources in anaerobic photocatalytic reactions using titanium dioxide as a catalyst. This proof-of-concept converts plastic waste into clean hydrogen fuel while potentially reducing environmental microplastic loads.

2023
Article Tier 2

Photoreforming of PET and PLA microplastics for sustainable hydrogen production using TiO2 and g-C3N4 photocatalysts

Researchers used photoreforming—a light-driven process—to break down PET and PLA microplastics while simultaneously generating hydrogen gas, demonstrating a dual-benefit approach that addresses plastic pollution while producing clean energy from waste plastic.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient photodegradation of polystyrene microplastics integrated with hydrogen evolution: Uncovering degradation pathways

Researchers developed an amorphous alloy/photocatalyst composite (FeB/TiO2) that efficiently degrades polystyrene microplastics while simultaneously producing hydrogen fuel, achieving 92.3% particle size reduction and significant H2 production in 12 hours.

2023 iScience 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic Removal of Polyester Polyurethane, and Polyethylene Microplastics via ZnO-Fe-Mg-C Nanocomposite to H2

Scientists created a zinc oxide-based nanocomposite catalyst that can break down polyester, polyurethane, and polyethylene microplastics under light, and simultaneously convert them into hydrogen gas. This dual function — destroying plastic pollution while generating a clean fuel — represents a potentially valuable approach to turning a major environmental problem into a usable energy resource.

2024 International Journal of Applied Sciences & Development 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Activation of 2D cobalt hydroxide with 0D cobalt oxide decoration for microplastics degradation and hydrogen evolution

Researchers created a new photocatalyst by combining two forms of cobalt — cobalt oxide particles on cobalt hydroxide sheets — that can both break down polystyrene microplastics and split water to produce hydrogen fuel using visible light. This dual-function material, which degrades 40% of polystyrene under mild LED lighting, points to a strategy for simultaneously addressing plastic pollution and clean energy production.

2023 Chemical Engineering Journal 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Visible Light Photocatalysis: Green Hydrogen Production

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper describes strategies for using visible-light photocatalysis to generate green hydrogen fuel from organic compounds and cellulose waste, an energy research topic unrelated to microplastic pollution.

2023 ECS Meeting Abstracts 1 citations
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

Comprehensive Insights into Photoreforming of Waste Plastics for Hydrogen Production

This review examines photocatalytic "photoreforming" — a solar-powered process that breaks down waste plastics while simultaneously generating hydrogen fuel and useful chemical byproducts. Recent advances in catalyst design, including semiconductor materials and metal-organic frameworks, are analyzed alongside factors like light intensity and pH that affect hydrogen output. This dual-purpose approach could help address both the global plastic waste crisis and the need for clean energy simultaneously.

2025 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Brookite TiO2 as an active photocatalyst for photoconversion of plastic wastes to acetic acid and simultaneous hydrogen production: Comparison with anatase and rutile

Researchers found that a specific form of titanium dioxide called brookite can use sunlight to simultaneously break down PET plastic waste and produce hydrogen fuel. The process converts microplastics in water into acetic acid (vinegar), offering a way to both clean up plastic pollution and generate clean energy. This technology could eventually help address microplastic contamination in water while producing a useful byproduct.

2024 Chemosphere 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary investigation of microorganisms potentially involved in microplastics degradation using an integrated metagenomic and biochemical approach

This study evaluated the photocatalytic degradation of microplastics using titanium dioxide nanoparticles under UV irradiation, achieving significant fragmentation of polystyrene particles within 48 hours. The approach shows promise for treating microplastic-contaminated water but generates smaller fragments as byproducts.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Photoreforming of Microplastics: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Environmental Remediation

This review explores photoreforming, a technology that uses sunlight to break down microplastics and convert them into useful chemicals like hydrogen fuel. The process could offer a sustainable way to clean up microplastic pollution while producing valuable products, though it is still in the early research stage. If scaled up, this approach could help reduce the environmental and health risks of microplastics by actually eliminating them rather than just filtering them out of water.

2024 Small 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Systemically Understanding Aqueous Photocatalytic Upgrading of Microplastic to Fuels

This review examines photocatalytic methods for converting microplastic waste into renewable fuels using solar energy. These approaches could transform plastic pollutants into useful energy sources rather than allowing them to accumulate in the environment and food chain.

2023 Solar RRL
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

Synthesizing a Ternary TiO 2 @g‐C 3 N 4 /UiO‐66 Photocatalyst From Waste Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic to Treat Polystyrene Microplastics in Polluted Water

Scientists created a photocatalyst using recycled plastic bottles (PET) and used it to break down polystyrene microplastics in water under visible light, achieving 90% degradation within 30 hours. The approach cleverly uses plastic waste as both a raw material and a target, turning one pollution problem into a tool for solving another. This proof-of-concept suggests a potentially scalable method for removing microplastics from water using sunlight-driven chemistry.

2026 ChemNanoMat
Article Tier 2

Chemoenzymatic Photoreforming: A Sustainable Approach for Solar-fuel Generation from Plastic Feedstocks

Researchers developed a hybrid process combining enzyme pretreatment with solar-driven photoreforming to convert polyester plastic waste into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable chemicals under mild conditions. This approach offers a way to clean up plastic pollution while generating renewable energy simultaneously.

2023 2 citations
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

In-situ formation of Ag2O in metal-organic framework for light-driven upcycling of microplastics coupled with hydrogen production

Researchers developed a light-activated catalyst that can break down microplastics while simultaneously producing hydrogen gas as a clean energy byproduct, using a novel metal-organic framework material that converts plastic pollution into useful chemicals — offering a potential two-in-one solution for plastic waste and energy production.

2022 Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 143 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

Novel CuMgAlTi-LDH Photocatalyst for Efficient Degradation of Microplastics under Visible Light Irradiation

Scientists developed a new photocatalyst material that breaks down polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics under visible light. The catalyst achieved significant degradation rates and worked through generating reactive oxygen species that attack plastic surfaces. This technology offers a promising green approach to removing microplastic pollution from water.

2023 Polymers 40 citations