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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Solar-driven hydrogen evolution in alkaline seawater over earth-abundant g-C3N4/CuFeO2 heterojunction photocatalyst using microplastic as a feedstock
ClearPhotoreforming 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.
Bimetallic defect-engineered CoMoMOF modulates CdZnS for efficient hydrogen production from water/microplastic waste
Researchers created a novel photocatalyst combining metal-defect-engineered materials to simultaneously generate hydrogen fuel and break down PET plastic waste using light energy. The system produced significantly more hydrogen using PET microplastics as a feedstock compared to water alone, suggesting plastic waste could serve as a raw material for clean energy production. This "waste to fuel" approach could address both the plastic pollution crisis and the energy transition, though it remains at an early laboratory stage.
Preparation of heterojunction C3N4/WO3 photocatalyst for degradation of microplastics in water
Researchers synthesized a carbon nitride/tungsten oxide heterojunction photocatalyst that effectively degrades PET microplastics in water while simultaneously generating hydrogen, offering a dual-benefit approach to addressing plastic pollution through photocatalysis.
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.
Eco-Friendly Solar-Powered H2 Generation from Plastic Waste Using Earth-Abundant Cu-Doped ZnS Catalysts
Plastic waste could potentially be converted into clean hydrogen fuel using sunlight and a catalyst, offering a way to both reduce plastic pollution and generate renewable energy. This study developed a copper-doped zinc sulfide photocatalyst — made from earth-abundant, non-toxic materials — that can break down plastic waste dissolved in alkaline solution under visible light, producing hydrogen gas at a promising rate. While still at the laboratory stage, solar-powered plastic-to-hydrogen conversion could eventually offer a sustainable alternative to simply landfilling or burning plastic waste.
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.
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.
Chemoenzymatic Photoreforming: A Sustainable Approach for Solar Fuel Generation from Plastic Feedstocks
Researchers developed a process combining enzyme treatment with solar-powered chemistry to break down polyester plastics into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable chemicals. The enzymatic step first breaks the plastic into smaller molecules under mild conditions, and then sunlight drives the conversion into useful products. The study demonstrates a sustainable way to upcycle plastic waste, including nanoplastics, using renewable energy rather than harsh industrial processes.
Electrochemical Degradation of Plastic Waste Coupled with Hydrogen Evolution in Seawater Using Rosette‐Like High‐Entropy Oxides
Scientists developed an electrochemical method using high-entropy oxide nanosheets to break down polyglycolic acid (PGA) plastic waste while simultaneously producing hydrogen fuel from seawater. The process converts plastic-derived glycolic acid into carbonate at high efficiency while requiring significantly less energy than conventional water-splitting approaches. This dual-purpose technology offers a potential pathway for addressing plastic pollution while generating clean energy.
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.
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.
Photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics by α-Fe2O3/g-C3N4
This study tested a composite photocatalyst (α-Fe2O3/g-C3N4) for degrading polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics using visible light. The catalyst caused surface cracking and oxidation of both plastic types, showing promise as a solar-powered method for breaking down microplastic pollution in water.
Building a bridge from solid wastes to solar fuels and chemicals via artificial photosynthesis
This review examined photoreforming (PR) as a process that converts solid plastic and other waste materials into hydrogen fuel and value-added chemicals using solar energy, combining waste remediation with clean fuel production. The authors assessed photocatalyst design strategies that enable efficient PR of diverse waste streams including polyethylene and polypropylene.
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.
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.
Hydrogen Generation from PS and PE Microplastics via UV Photocatalysis
Scientists explored whether UV light—with and without a titanium dioxide photocatalyst—could break down polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics while simultaneously generating hydrogen gas, effectively converting plastic pollution into a clean fuel. Overall degradation rates remain low and practical barriers (particle settling, light penetration) are significant, but the study maps the thermodynamic and chemical conditions that favor reactivity. This dual-purpose approach—pollution remediation plus energy recovery—is an intriguing direction for future research if efficiency can be improved.
Emerging materials and technologies for electrocatalytic seawater splitting
This review examines technologies for splitting seawater to produce hydrogen fuel, focusing on electrode materials and device design challenges. While not related to microplastics, the research addresses renewable energy production that could reduce dependence on petroleum-based plastics by supporting a shift toward cleaner energy sources. Reducing fossil fuel use is indirectly relevant to addressing the root causes of plastic pollution.
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.
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.
Pollutants to Products: A Tailored Multicomponent Photocatalyst for Simultaneous CO 2 and Plastic Waste Conversion
Researchers developed a photocatalyst that simultaneously converts CO2 and PET plastic waste into useful chemicals (CO, methane, ethylene glycol) using only light, with CO2 reduced at over 95% selectivity. The dual-use design eliminates the need for chemical sacrificial agents by using plastic as the electron donor for CO2 reduction. Beyond plastic recycling, the system also suggests a pathway for degrading microplastics, offering a single solar-driven process that tackles two major pollution problems at once.
From photocatalysis to photon–phonon co-driven catalysis for methanol reforming to hydrogen and valuable by-products
This review covers hydrogen production from methanol using light-driven chemical reactions, examining new photocatalytic materials and methods. While not about microplastics directly, the clean energy technologies discussed could help reduce fossil fuel dependence and the plastic production that drives microplastic pollution.
Plastics-to-syngas photocatalysed by Co–Ga2O3 nanosheets
Researchers developed a solar-powered photocatalytic method using cobalt-gallium oxide nanosheets to convert non-recyclable plastic bags into renewable syngas at ambient conditions, simultaneously addressing plastic pollution and energy production.
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.
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.