Papers

61,005 results
|
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

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

Degradation of primary nanoplastics by photocatalysis using different anodized TiO2 structures

Researchers used anodized titanium dioxide photocatalysts to degrade polystyrene nanoparticles in water under UV light, finding that a mixed nanotube/nanograss TiO2 structure reduced nanoplastic concentrations twice as effectively as UV photolysis alone, as confirmed by turbidity, total organic carbon, and mass spectrometry measurements.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 213 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

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

Efficient photocatalytic degradation of polystyrene microplastics in water over core–shell BiO2−x/CuBi2O4 heterojunction with full spectrum light response

Researchers developed a new light-activated material that can break down polystyrene microplastics in water, causing significant surface damage to the plastic within 15 days. The material works across the full light spectrum, making it more practical than treatments requiring specific light conditions. While still in the laboratory stage, this photocatalytic approach could eventually provide a way to remove microplastics from water before they reach people.

2025 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Silver Nanoparticles/Titanium Dioxide Nanowires Photocatalyst Formation for Microplastic Removal Using Ultraviolet Radiation

Researchers synthesized silver nanoparticle-decorated titanium dioxide nanowires (Ag/TiO2 NWs) via thermal oxidation and wet impregnation, then evaluated the photocatalytic efficiency of this heterojunction material for degrading polypropylene microplastics under ultraviolet radiation.

2023 Diffusion and defect data, solid state data. Part B, Solid state phenomena/Solid state phenomena 3 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

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
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

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 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 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 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

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
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic Decomposition of Microplastics with a Suspension of Titanium Dioxide Doped with Fullerenol-70

Researchers tested a titanium dioxide–fullerenol-70 photocatalytic suspension as a method for breaking down microplastics, finding it degraded up to 44% of nylon in a single day and outperformed plain titanium dioxide by up to 3× depending on polymer type. This offers a promising chemical approach to reducing microplastic concentrations in water without generating secondary pollutants.

2026 Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry A
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

Silver Doped TiO2 Photocatalyst for Disinfection ofE. coli and Microplastic Pollutant Degradation in Water

Researchers developed a silver-doped titanium dioxide photocatalyst that could simultaneously kill E. coli bacteria and break down polyethylene microplastics in water under light exposure. This combined disinfection and plastic degradation capability could be useful in water treatment systems.

2021 Asian Journal of Chemistry 17 citations
Article Tier 2

The Role of the Reactive Species Involved in the Photocatalytic Degradation of HDPE Microplastics Using C,N-TiO2 Powders

Researchers used carbon and nitrogen co-doped titanium dioxide photocatalysts to degrade high-density polyethylene microplastics under simulated solar light, identifying hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anions as the primary reactive species responsible for surface oxidation and chain scission of the polymer.

2021 Polymers 147 citations
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

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

Visible light photocatalytic degradation of HDPE microplastics using vanadium-doped titania

Researchers tested vanadium-doped titanium dioxide photocatalysts for degrading high-density polyethylene (HDPE) microplastics under visible light, finding that vanadium doping extended the photocatalytic response into the visible spectrum and enhanced degradation rates compared to undoped TiO2. The study advances solar-driven microplastic degradation as a potential remediation strategy.

2024 Central Asian Journal of Water Research 7 citations
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)