Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Catalytic degradation of microplastics

This review summarizes catalytic approaches for degrading microplastics in the environment, covering photocatalysis, Fenton reactions, and other advanced oxidation methods, and evaluates their current effectiveness and limitations for addressing real-world microplastic contamination.

2023 Russian Chemical Reviews 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Developments in advanced oxidation processes for removal of microplastics from aqueous matrices

This review evaluates advanced oxidation processes for removing microplastics from water, finding that photocatalysis, Fenton reactions, and electrochemical methods can effectively degrade microplastics into smaller molecules, offering promising alternatives to conventional non-destructive treatment approaches.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Iron‐Based Catalysts for the Removal of Microplastics

This review evaluates the potential of iron-based catalysts for degrading microplastics in water through photocatalytic, Fenton, and electrocatalytic approaches. Researchers highlight the advantages of iron's abundance, low toxicity, and catalytic versatility for generating reactive oxygen species that can break down plastics. The study identifies challenges including scalability and catalyst recovery while recommending interdisciplinary collaboration to advance iron-based remediation solutions.

2025 Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Engineering functional nanocomposites for enhanced AOP-mediated microplastic mineralization: From mechanistic insights to water remediation strategies

This review examines how advanced oxidation processes such as photocatalysis, Fenton reactions, and electrocatalysis can be used to break down microplastics in water. Researchers evaluated the strengths and limitations of each technique and explored how functional nanomaterials can enhance degradation performance. The study highlights promising directions for developing scalable water treatment solutions to address microplastic contamination.

2025 Coordination Chemistry Reviews 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel route for microplastic mineralization: visible-light-driven heterogeneous photocatalysis and photothermal Fenton-like reaction

Researchers developed a novel photocatalytic system using alpha-Fe2O3 nanoflowers on TiO2 nanotube arrays that achieves efficient microplastic mineralization through combined visible-light-driven heterogeneous photocatalysis and photothermal Fenton-like reactions.

2023 Environmental Science Nano 28 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
Article Tier 2

A Short Review on Recent Advanced Oxidation Technologies for Microplastics Degradation

This review summarizes recent advances in advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) for degrading microplastics, evaluating methods such as UV/ozone, Fenton reactions, and photocatalysis. The authors assess the efficiency, scalability, and limitations of each approach for treating microplastic-contaminated water.

2023 Journal of Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Advanced Oxidation Techniques and Hybrid Approaches for Microplastic Degradation: A Comprehensive Review

This review examines advanced oxidation processes for degrading microplastics, including photocatalysis, electrochemical oxidation, Fenton reactions, and plasma technologies, which generate reactive species capable of breaking down polymer chains. Hybrid systems combining these oxidation methods with biological treatments or membrane filtration showed particular promise for scalable microplastic remediation. The authors identify challenges around energy consumption, secondary pollutant formation, and the need for optimization before these technologies can be integrated into existing wastewater treatment infrastructure.

2026 Catalysts
Article Tier 2

Photo-fenton oxidation of microplastics: Impact of polymer nature

Researchers investigated photo-Fenton oxidation as a treatment for microplastics, finding that degradation efficiency varies significantly by polymer type. Polymers with aromatic structures and those with greater oxidative susceptibility degraded more rapidly under photo-Fenton conditions.

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

Insights into the degradation of microplastics by Fenton oxidation: From surface modification to mineralization

Researchers investigated Fenton oxidation of five common microplastic types, finding that while bulk particles showed modest weight losses of around 10%, polystyrene nanoplastics achieved 70% mineralization, with aromatic polymers being more susceptible to degradation.

2022 Chemosphere 131 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advances and challenges in advanced oxidation processes for degradation of nano- and microplastics in water: a critical review

This critical review evaluates four main advanced oxidation processes — ozonation, photocatalysis, Fenton reactions, and electrochemical oxidation — for breaking down nano- and microplastics in water, summarizing what has been achieved and where major technical gaps remain. Developing effective degradation technologies is urgently needed because conventional water treatment systems do not reliably remove small plastic particles.

2026 RSC Advances
Article Tier 2

Application of Fenton-like processes in the degradation of microplastics

This Croatian-language paper reviews how Fenton-like advanced oxidation processes can degrade microplastics in the environment. The review evaluates the effectiveness of these chemical methods as a potential tool for breaking down plastic particles in water treatment systems.

2023 Repository of Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology University of Zagreb
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic Technologies for Transformation and Degradation of Microplastics in the Environment: Current Achievements and Future Prospects

This review examines photocatalytic technologies that use light-activated materials to break down microplastics in the environment. Various catalysts can generate reactive oxygen species that degrade plastic polymers into simpler, less harmful molecules. The authors assess the strengths and limitations of different photocatalytic approaches and highlight the need for scalable solutions that work under real-world environmental conditions.

2023 Catalysts 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Advanced oxidation processes for the elimination of microplastics from aqueous systems: Assessment of efficiency, perspectives and limitations

This review evaluates advanced oxidation processes as a strategy for breaking down microplastics in water systems, comparing techniques such as photocatalysis, Fenton reactions, and ozonation. Researchers found that while these methods show promise for degrading microplastics into smaller, less harmful molecules, challenges remain in scaling them for practical use. The study identifies key limitations and suggests directions for making these technologies more efficient and applicable to real-world water treatment.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Advanced oxidation processes for the degradation of microplastics from the environment: A review

This review of 54 studies found that advanced oxidation processes including UV photocatalysis, Fenton reactions, and sonolysis can successfully degrade microplastics in water, with all reviewed techniques achieving satisfying performance in degrading various plastic types.

2023 Water and Environment Journal 17 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

Photocatalytic strategy to mitigate microplastic pollution in aquatic environments: Promising catalysts, efficiencies, mechanisms, and ecological risks

This review summarizes recent advances in photocatalytic degradation of microplastics, covering catalysts, mechanisms, and reactive oxygen species generation pathways. The authors call for more realistic photocatalytic materials, better mechanistic understanding of degradation intermediates, and quantitative ecological risk assessment of photocatalysis byproducts.

2022 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Metal Oxides‐Based Nano/Microstructures for Photodegradation of Microplastics

This review covers how metal oxide materials, such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, can be used as photocatalysts to break down microplastics using sunlight. Some approaches can even convert plastic waste into useful fuels and chemicals. The technology offers a promising eco-friendly strategy for cleaning microplastics from water and wastewater systems.

2023 Advanced Sustainable Systems 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Photo-fenton oxidation of microplastics: Impact of polymer nature

Researchers tested photo-Fenton oxidation as a treatment method for microplastics, comparing degradation efficiency across different polymer types. The study found that polymer chemistry significantly influences how quickly microplastics break down under this oxidative treatment.

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

Insight into the Photodegradation of Microplastics Boosted by Iron (Hydr)oxides

Iron (hydr)oxide minerals goethite and hematite were found to significantly accelerate the photodegradation of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics under simulated sunlight, with goethite showing greater effect due to higher hydroxyl radical production via a light-driven Fenton reaction. The study reveals a previously overlooked natural mechanism by which common soil minerals can influence the environmental fate of microplastics.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 78 citations
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

Potential of Advanced Oxidation as Pretreatment for Microplastics Biodegradation

This review assessed the potential of advanced oxidation processes as pretreatment steps to enhance microplastic biodegradation, finding that UV, ozone, and Fenton-based treatments can weaken polymer structures and make them more susceptible to subsequent biological breakdown.

2023 Separations 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advances in degradation of micro/nanoplastics by sustainable photo-driven processes: A comprehensive review

This comprehensive review evaluated recent advances in photo-driven degradation technologies for breaking down micro- and nanoplastics, including photolysis, photo-Fenton, and photocatalysis processes. Researchers found that certain systems can achieve complete mineralization of plastic particles under optimized conditions, suggesting these sustainable approaches hold promise for addressing microplastic pollution in the environment.

2026 Next Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Light-driven degradation of microplastics: Mechanisms, technologies, and future directions

This review examines photocatalytic technologies for breaking down microplastics using light-driven chemical processes. Researchers found that photocatalysts can potentially mineralize microplastics into carbon dioxide and water, with some approaches also enabling recovery of useful chemical products. The study highlights light-driven degradation as a promising direction for microplastic remediation, though challenges around efficiency and scalability remain to be addressed.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 6 citations