Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Facile Fabrication of Oxygen-Defective ZnO Nanoplates for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue and In Vitro Antibacterial Activity

Researchers fabricated ZnO nanoplates with varying oxygen defect densities by controlling crystal growth temperature and found that defect-rich nanoplates showed superior photocatalytic activity for degrading methylene blue dye and stronger antibacterial effects, linking defect engineering to photocatalyst performance.

2023 Catalysts 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Progress in ZnO-Based Nanostructures for Photocatalytic Antimicrobial in Water Treatment: A Review

This review summarized recent progress in ZnO-based nanostructures for photocatalytic antimicrobial water treatment, highlighting how nanostructure morphology and doping strategies enhance reactive oxygen species generation and broaden applications for removing pathogens and micropollutants including microplastics.

2022 Applied Sciences 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of Two-dimensional P-type ZnO Powder Illuminated By Visible Light for the Inhibition of Gram-positive and Gram-negative Bacteria in Water

Two-dimensional zinc oxide (ZnO) powder was synthesized and found to kill both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria under visible light. This nanomaterial study is focused on water disinfection applications and has no direct connection to environmental microplastics.

2023 Food and Bioprocess Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Green Preparation of ZnO Nanoparticles Using Citrus aurantium L. Extract for Dye Adsorption, Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Activities

Researchers used green synthesis with Citrus aurantium extract to prepare ZnO nanoparticles, which showed effective adsorption of amaranth red dye alongside strong antibacterial and antioxidant activities, offering a low-cost and environmentally friendly nanomaterial production route.

2025 Separations 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The Influence of Mechanochemical Synthesis Method on Photodegradability Characteristics of Hydroxyapatite/Zinc Oxide Composite

Researchers synthesized a ZnO/hydroxyapatite nanocomposite via mechanochemical attrition milling and evaluated its photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange dye under UV irradiation, finding that compositions with 75% ZnO and 25% ZnO showed the best combined adsorption and photodegradation performance.

2025
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

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

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

ZnAl LDH-based Derivative Materials as Photocatalysts: Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic Performance in Tetracycline Degradation

This review surveys ZnAl layered double hydroxide (LDH)-derived photocatalysts, discussing synthesis routes, structural properties, and application performance in degrading organic pollutants under UV and visible light. The authors identify calcination-derived mixed metal oxides as the most active catalysts and highlight their potential for microplastic photodegradation and water treatment.

2024 Science & Technology Indonesia 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing Bio-Immobilized ZnO/CNT/Chitosan Ternary Composite Fabric for Enhanced Photodegradation of a Commercial Reactive Dye

This paper is not about microplastics; it describes the fabrication and testing of a ZnO/carbon nanotube/chitosan composite fabric as a photocatalyst for degrading textile dye (Reactive Blue 4) in wastewater, with no connection to microplastic research.

2023 Molecules 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Green Synthesis of Semiconductor Nanocomposite (O-ZnO) Using Onion Peels Extract for Degradation of Organic Materials

Researchers synthesized zinc oxide nanocomposite using onion peel extract via a green synthesis route and evaluated its photocatalytic performance for removing cefixime antibiotic from aqueous solution through advanced oxidation. The synthesized O-ZnO nanocomposite was characterized by BET, XRD, FESEM, and FTIR analyses and demonstrated effective degradation of pharmaceutical organic pollutants under controlled conditions.

2025 Nature Environment and Pollution Technology
Article Tier 2

Retracted: Synthesis characterization of Zn-based MOF and their application in degradation of water contaminants

This review examines zinc-based metal-organic frameworks (Zn-MOFs) as photocatalysts for degrading organic pollutants such as dyes in wastewater, reporting over 90% degradation efficiency and good reusability, highlighting their potential as high-surface-area nanomaterials for water treatment.

2022 Water Science & Technology 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Environmental Pollutants Using Zn-Doped NiO Nanoparticles

This study developed zinc-doped nickel oxide nanoparticles that can break down environmental pollutants using visible light. The researchers found that adding zinc improved the material's ability to absorb light and degrade harmful substances, suggesting a potential tool for cleaning up contaminated water and soil.

2024 Water 27 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

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

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

Photocatalytic Removal of Antibiotics from Wastewater Using the CeO2/ZnO Heterojunction

Researchers synthesized CeO2/ZnO heterostructure photocatalysts using sol-gel methods and demonstrated high efficiency for degrading antibiotic compounds in water under light irradiation, with the heterojunction preventing electron-hole recombination and enhancing photocatalytic performance.

2023 Materials 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic Degradation of Plastic Waste: Recent Progress and Future Perspectives

This review examined photocatalytic degradation as an environmentally friendly approach to destroying microplastic waste, focusing on nanomaterial-based semiconductors such as TiO2 and ZnO. The review highlighted recent progress and remaining challenges in developing efficient photocatalytic systems capable of fully mineralizing persistent plastic pollutants.

2024 Advances in Nanoparticles 8 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

Ag/Ag2O with NIR-Triggered Antibacterial Activities: Photocatalytic Sterilization Enhanced by Low-Temperature Photothermal Effect

Researchers developed Ag/Ag2O as a novel photocatalytic antibacterial agent that harnesses near-infrared light to generate reactive oxygen species while a mild photothermal effect enhances sterilization efficiency. The material shows promise for applications requiring light-activated antimicrobial activity without the high temperatures associated with conventional photothermal therapy.

2023 International Journal of Nanomedicine 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation of S-C3N4/AgCdS Z-Scheme Heterojunction Photocatalyst and Its Effectively Improved Photocatalytic Performance

This paper is not about microplastics. It describes the development of a photocatalyst material (S-doped carbon nitride with silver-doped cadmium sulfide) designed to degrade organic dyes like Rhodamine B and methyl orange. While photocatalytic technology could theoretically be applied to plastic degradation, this study focuses entirely on dye removal chemistry with no connection to microplastic contamination or health effects.

2024 Molecules 5 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