Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Bi‐based photocatalysts for light‐driven environmental and energy applications: Structural tuning, reaction mechanisms, and challenges

This review examines bismuth-based photocatalysts that use visible light to break down environmental pollutants and convert energy. Researchers summarized various structural modification strategies that improve the photocatalytic performance of these materials. The findings are relevant to microplastic pollution because advanced photocatalysts represent a potential technology for degrading plastic particles in water treatment systems.

2020 EcoMat 139 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Progress in WO3-Based Photo(electro)-Catalysis Systems for Green Organic Synthesis and Wastewater Remediation: A Review

A review of WO3-based photocatalysts for breaking down organic pollutants in water assessed recent advances in their synthesis, performance, and stability. These materials are relevant to microplastic research as part of the broader toolkit for advanced water treatment targeting plastic-derived chemical contaminants.

2025 Catalysts 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of Novel Bismuth-Based Catalysts for the Degradation of Microplastics in Aquatic Matrices

Researchers synthesized two bismuth-based photocatalysts — BiPO4 and Bi2O3/TiO2 — and tested them against polypropylene microplastics under UV irradiation, finding BiPO4 more effective under UV-B (up to 10.81% area reduction) and Bi2O3/TiO2 more effective under UV-A (up to 9.15% area reduction), with FTIR confirming incipient structural degradation.

2025 Microplastics
Review Tier 2

A Review on the Use of Metal Oxide-Based Nanocomposites for the Remediation of Organics-Contaminated Water via Photocatalysis: Fundamentals, Bibliometric Study and Recent Advances

This review examines how metal oxide nanocomposite materials can be used as photocatalysts to break down toxic organic pollutants in contaminated water using light energy. While focused on cleaning up dyes, drugs, and pesticides, the technology is relevant to microplastics because similar photocatalytic approaches are being explored to degrade plastic particles in water. Improving water treatment technologies like these could help reduce human exposure to the cocktail of pollutants, including microplastics, found in water supplies.

2023 Toxics 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Global Research Trends in Photocatalytic Degradation of Microplastics: A Bibliometric Perspective

This bibliometric analysis maps the research landscape of using light-activated catalysts to break down microplastics, finding a strong 18% annual growth rate in publications with China and India leading the field. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are the most commonly studied catalysts, targeting common plastics like polyethylene, polystyrene, and PVC. While photocatalytic degradation is a promising approach to reducing microplastic pollution, challenges remain in scaling up the technology and ensuring it works under real-world conditions.

2025 Microplastics 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic and biological technologies for elimination of microplastics in water: Current status

This review examines emerging photocatalytic and biological technologies for breaking down microplastics in water, since conventional treatment facilities can capture but not fully destroy these particles. Researchers found that while photocatalysis and microbial degradation show promise, their effectiveness varies widely and the underlying mechanisms are only partly understood. The study highlights the urgent need for more efficient solutions to eliminate rather than simply filter out microplastic pollution from water supplies.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 137 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic degradation by hydroxy-rich bismuth oxychloride

A novel hydroxy-rich bismuth oxychloride photocatalyst (BiOCl-X) degraded microplastics at a rate 24 times higher than standard BiOCl nanosheets under light irradiation, with surface hydroxyl groups identified as the key structural feature that boosts hydroxyl radical production for plastic oxidation.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 317 citations
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

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
Article Tier 2

Treatment Of Polyvınyl Chlorıde (Pvc), Polypropylene (Pp) Mıcroplastics, Usıng Bi2wo6 / Fe3o4 Nanocomposıte

Researchers applied photodegradation — a clean, green removal technology — to treat polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene (PP) microplastics, evaluating the technique as a solution to the chemical inertness and environmental accumulation problems that make microplastics a persistent ecological threat.

2024 Clinical Reviews and Case Reports
Article Tier 2

Efficient photocatalytic degradation of microplastics by constructing a novel Z-scheme Fe-doped BiO2−x/BiOI heterojunction with full-spectrum response: Mechanistic insights and theory calculations

Researchers developed a new photocatalyst that can break down PET microplastics in water using the full spectrum of light, including visible light. The iron-doped material created deep cracks in PET plastic within just 10 hours of light exposure. This technology could eventually help remove microplastics from water treatment systems, reducing the amount that reaches drinking water.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 54 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 Degradation of Microplastics in Aquatic Environments: Materials, Mechanisms, Practical Challenges, and Future Perspectives

This review examines how light-activated materials called photocatalysts can break down microplastics in water into harmless byproducts using sunlight or UV light. While still facing challenges with incomplete breakdown and variable sunlight conditions, this technology offers a promising way to reduce microplastic contamination in water sources that affect human health.

2025 Water 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Bibliometrics and visualization analysis regarding research on the development of microplastics

Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of microplastic research published from 2009 to 2019 using visualization software. The study found that publications grew exponentially during this period, with research hotspots shifting from zooplankton ingestion and surface water surveys toward adsorption, biodegradation, and toxicity analysis, and predicts that constructed wetlands, biotechnology, and photocatalysis for microplastic removal will become emerging research areas.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Microplastics Removal from Water with Special Attention Given to Photocatalytic Degradation: Review of Scientific Research

This review examines methods for removing microplastics from water, with a focus on photocatalytic degradation, which uses light-activated materials to break down plastic particles. These advanced processes generate reactive molecules that can fragment microplastics into harmless byproducts. While promising, the technology still needs optimization and more research into potential harmful byproducts before it can be widely deployed.

2023 Microplastics 87 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

Progress and Prospects of Microplastic Biodegradation Processes and Mechanisms: A Bibliometric Analysis

This bibliometric analysis maps the research landscape of microplastic biodegradation from 2012 to 2022, revealing a sharp increase in publications peaking around 2020-2021. Researchers identified key institutions and summarized the main biodegradation processes, including microbial degradation, photodegradation, and thermo-oxidative degradation of various plastic types. The study highlights that while biological approaches to breaking down microplastics show promise, significant gaps remain in understanding the complete degradation mechanisms.

2024 Toxics 16 citations
Article Tier 2

An Account on BiVO4 as Photocatalytic Active Matter

This review discusses bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) as a material for building tiny light-powered motors that could potentially be used to clean up environmental pollution. While not directly about microplastics, the technology is relevant because these non-toxic micromotors could be deployed to break down plastic pollutants in water using visible light. The research is still in early stages but demonstrates promising physical and chemical behaviors for future environmental applications.

2024 Accounts of Materials Research 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Emerging Organic Pollutants by Zeolite Mineral (Clinoptilolite) Composite Photocatalysts in Drinking Water and Watershed Water

This review covers photocatalytic technologies that use zeolite minerals combined with semiconductor materials to break down emerging pollutants in drinking water and watersheds. While focused on pharmaceuticals and other organic contaminants rather than microplastics specifically, these advanced water treatment approaches could also help degrade microplastics. Better water purification technology is critical for reducing human exposure to the mix of pollutants, including microplastics, found in drinking water.

2024 Catalysts 16 citations
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

Assessing the Sustainability of Photodegradation and Photocatalysis for Wastewater Reuse in an Agricultural Resilience Context

Not directly relevant to microplastics — this review evaluates photodegradation and photocatalysis technologies for purifying wastewater for agricultural reuse, without a focus on microplastic removal.

2023 Water 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollutant Degradation in Water Using Modified TiO2 Photocatalyst Under UV-Irradiation

This study tested modified titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysts for their ability to degrade microplastic pollutants in water using light-driven oxidation. Modified TiO2 showed improved photocatalytic activity against microplastics compared to unmodified TiO2, which suffers from limited efficiency under visible light.

2021 IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Construction of flake ball-shaped Bi2WO6 embedded on phenyl functionalized g-C3N4 nanosheet for efficient degradation insight of colorless pollutants and its biological application

Researchers synthesized a bismuth tungstate/phenyl-doped carbon nitride photocatalyst and demonstrated that it efficiently degrades bisphenol A (a microplastic-associated endocrine disruptor) and the antibiotic tetracycline under visible light via a Z-scheme electron transfer mechanism, achieving strong pollutant breakdown without conventional UV sources.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis, characterization of Ag-doped CdS-WO2 nanocomposite and effects of photocatalytic degradation in RhB under visible light irradiation

Researchers synthesized a silver-doped cadmium sulfide and tungsten oxide nanocomposite and tested its ability to photocatalytically degrade rhodamine B dye under visible light. Developing more efficient photocatalysts could support removal of plastic-associated dye pollutants from wastewater.

2022 4 citations