Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Degradation of Microplastic Residuals in Water by Visible Light Photocatalysis

Researchers demonstrated that zinc oxide-based photocatalysts activated by visible light can degrade low-density polyethylene microplastic residues in water. This photocatalytic approach could offer an energy-efficient method for reducing microplastic contamination in aquatic environments.

2018 KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) 7 citations
Article Tier 2

A convenient strategy for mitigating microplastics in wastewater treatment using natural light and ZnO nanoparticles as photocatalysts: A mechanistic study

Researchers showed that zinc oxide nanoparticles can break down polypropylene microplastics using natural sunlight as an energy source. The photocatalytic process generated free radicals that attacked and degraded the plastic polymer chains. This solar-powered approach could provide a low-cost, practical method for removing microplastics from wastewater before it is discharged into the environment.

2024 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative Photocatalytic Performance of Gd, Zn, and Ti Metal Oxide Catalysts for Polyethylene Microplastics Removal

Photocatalysis — using light to drive chemical reactions that break down pollutants — shows real promise for degrading microplastics in water. Testing three different metal oxide catalysts, this study found that a modified zinc oxide catalyst could degrade 78% of polyethylene microplastics within two hours under visible light, outperforming both commercial catalysts and the other materials tested. The results point toward surface-engineered ZnO as a potentially practical tool for treating microplastic-contaminated water, though scaling these lab conditions to real-world water treatment remains a significant challenge.

2025 International Journal of Environmental Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Visible light photocatalytic degradation of microplastic residues with zinc oxide nanorods

LDPE microplastic residues were treated with zinc oxide nanorods under visible light irradiation, resulting in a 30% increase in carbonyl index and increased brittleness, demonstrating photocatalytic oxidation of the plastic surface. The study shows that ZnO nanorod photocatalysis can initiate microplastic degradation using visible light, offering a potential low-energy remediation approach.

2019 Environmental Chemistry Letters 498 citations
Article Tier 2

Natural sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation of polypropylene microplastics over ZnO nanorods

Scientists developed a zinc oxide photocatalyst that, when exposed to natural sunlight, broke down polypropylene microplastics five times faster than natural degradation alone. The technology uses sunlight to trigger chemical reactions that oxidize and degrade the plastic particles. This approach represents a promising and sustainable method for cleaning up microplastic pollution in water, which could help reduce the amount of microplastics that eventually reach humans through the water supply.

2025 Environmental Research 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effective Removal of Methylene Blue by Mn3O4/NiO Nanocomposite under Visible Light

Researchers synthesized manganese oxide and nickel oxide nanocomposites and tested their ability to remove methylene blue dye from wastewater under visible light through photocatalysis. The study found that the nanocomposite effectively degraded the dye, demonstrating a low-cost approach to wastewater treatment that could help address water pollution challenges.

2023 Separations 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Visible-light photocatalysis by carbon-nano-onion-functionalized ZnO tetrapods: degradation of 2,4-dinitrophenol and a plant-model-based ecological assessment

Researchers created a hybrid material combining carbon nano-onions (tiny carbon spheres) with zinc oxide crystals that can break down the toxic industrial chemical 2,4-dinitrophenol using only visible light. The composite was effective, reusable, and showed low toxicity to plants, suggesting promise for cleaning contaminated wastewater.

2019 NPG Asia Materials 168 citations
Article Tier 2

ZnO nanostructured matrix as nexus catalysts for the removal of emerging pollutants

Researchers reviewed the use of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) as photocatalysts — materials that use light to break down pollutants — for removing emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals and microplastics from water and wastewater. Green synthesis methods, where plants or microbes are used to manufacture the nanoparticles, showed especially high pollutant removal efficiency while reducing the environmental footprint of the process itself.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye by Promising Zinc Copper Ferrite Nanoparticles for Wastewater Treatment

Researchers synthesized copper-zinc ferrite nanoparticles and tested their ability to break down methylene blue dye in wastewater using photocatalysis. They found that the nanoparticles effectively degraded the dye under light exposure, demonstrating strong potential for water treatment applications. The study presents a relatively simple and cost-effective approach for removing harmful dye pollutants from industrial wastewater.

2024 Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic dual-defect band engineering for highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of microplastics via Nb-induced oxygen vacancies in SnO2 quantum dots

Researchers engineered a new material using niobium-doped tin oxide quantum dots that can break down polyethylene microplastics in water using visible light. The material works through a photocatalytic process, meaning sunlight can power the degradation of microplastics in real-world water conditions. This technology could offer a practical way to clean microplastic-contaminated water sources.

2025 Journal of Materials Chemistry A 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Ultrasound-Assisted and Citric Acid-Guided Creation of ZnO Nanoparticles with Optimized Morphologies to Boost Malachite Green Photocatalysis

Despite its title referencing environmental remediation, this paper studies the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles for degrading malachite green dye under simulated sunlight — not microplastic pollution. It examines photocatalysis chemistry for breaking down a persistent textile dye and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 Molecules 1 citations
Article Tier 2

ZnO Semiconductor Nanoparticles and Their Application in Photocatalytic Degradation of Various Organic Dyes

Researchers synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles using a green method with pepper plant extract and tested their ability to break down organic dyes in water under UV light. The nanoparticles achieved 100% elimination of methylene blue within 60 minutes and high degradation rates for other common dyes. The study demonstrates a sustainable approach to photocatalytic water treatment for removing organic pollutants.

2021 Materials 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Porphyrin-Conjugated Hybrid Nanomaterials for Photocatalytic Wastewater Remediation

Researchers reviewed the use of porphyrin-conjugated hybrid nanomaterials for photocatalytic wastewater treatment, including the degradation of microplastics. The study found that these materials show strong visible-light absorption and enhanced electron properties that make them effective at breaking down hazardous pollutants, offering a promising approach for environmental remediation.

2026 Applied Sciences
Article Tier 2

Effect of potential microplastics in sewage effluent on Nile Tilapia and photocatalytic remediation with zinc oxide nanoparticles

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in sewage effluent from a Saudi Arabian treatment plant and found that zinc oxide nanoparticle-based photocatalytic remediation could reduce microplastic-related toxicity in Nile tilapia exposed to the treated water.

2023 Environmental Pollution 13 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

A Review on Photocatalysis Used For Wastewater Treatment: Dye Degradation

Researchers reviewed metal oxide-based photocatalysts — materials that use light to break down pollutants — for treating dye-contaminated wastewater, highlighting how rare-earth doping and nanocomposite design can overcome the limitations of standard titanium dioxide catalysts and improve degradation efficiency under visible light.

2023 Water Air & Soil Pollution 518 citations
Article Tier 2

Green Synthesis of Photocatalytically Active ZnO Nanoparticles Using Chia Seed Extract and Mechanistic Elucidation of the Photodegradation of Diclofenac and p-Nitrophenol

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using a green method with chia seed extract as a capping agent, producing quasi-spherical particles less than 30 nm with hexagonal crystal structure. The ZnO NPs showed photocatalytic activity for degrading environmental pollutants, providing an eco-friendly synthesis route to a widely used nanomaterial.

2024 Catalysts 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Different metal-doped NiO nanoparticles for sunlight-mediated degradation of low-density polyethylene microplastic films

Researchers synthesized metal-doped nickel oxide nanoparticles via sol-gel methods and embedded them in low-density polyethylene films, finding that 2% iron-doped NiO achieved approximately 38% photocatalytic degradation of the plastic under 30 days of sunlight exposure by suppressing charge carrier recombination and increasing visible light absorption.

2024 Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced Visible Light Photodegradation of Microplastic Fragments with Plasmonic Platinum/Zinc Oxide Nanorod Photocatalysts

Platinum/zinc oxide nanorod photocatalysts under visible light were found to significantly accelerate the photodegradation of polyethylene microplastic fragments, offering a potential approach for treating microplastic-contaminated water using sunlight-driven reactions. The plasmonic enhancement of the zinc oxide catalyst makes it more effective at the wavelengths available from natural sunlight.

2019 Catalysts 234 citations
Article Tier 2

Merits of photocatalytic activity of synthesized (ZnxCu(1−x)Fe2O4); x = (0–1) magnetic nanoparticles for wastewater treatment

Researchers synthesized zinc copper ferrite nanoparticles using a co-precipitation method and evaluated their photocatalytic performance for degrading methyl orange dye in wastewater. They found that the optimized nanoparticle composition achieved significant dye degradation under UV light exposure. The study suggests these magnetic nanoparticles could serve as reusable photocatalysts for treating dye-contaminated wastewater.

2024 Journal of Materials Science 18 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

Design of tertiary Z-scheme CuO–ZnO@MXene photocatalyst with superior visible-light activity for decomposition of nanoplastics

A ternary CuO-ZnO@MXene photocatalyst with a Z-scheme charge transfer pathway was designed for enhanced degradation of organic pollutants in water. The material's architecture improves light absorption and charge separation, making it a candidate for treating microplastic-contaminated wastewater.

2025 Journal of Water Process Engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Zinc oxide nanoparticles dissolution and toxicity enhancement by polystyrene microplastics under sunlight irradiation

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics dramatically increased the sunlight-induced dissolution of zinc oxide nanoparticles, enhancing the release of toxic zinc ions and reactive oxygen species in aquatic environments.

2022 Chemosphere 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Decomposition of microplastics using copper oxide/bismuth vanadate-based photocatalysts: Insight mechanisms and environmental impacts

Researchers developed a light-activated catalyst using copper oxide and bismuth vanadate that can break down microplastics in wastewater. The treatment effectively degraded the plastic surfaces, though the treated water still needed dilution before being safely discharged due to residual chemicals that were harmful to test organisms. This technology could help reduce microplastic levels in wastewater before it reaches rivers and oceans where it enters the food chain.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 23 citations