Papers

61,005 results
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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

Countering microplastics pollution with photocatalysis: Challenge and prospects

This review summarized the use of photocatalysis for degrading microplastics, covering catalyst types, reaction mechanisms, and operational parameters, and discussing challenges including the stability of highly polymerized plastics and prospects for scaling photocatalytic treatment to address environmental microplastic pollution.

2023 Progress in Natural Science Materials International 26 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

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

Degradation of Micro- and Nano-Plastics by Photocatalytic Methods

This paper reviews photocatalytic methods — using light-activated catalysts — as a way to break down micro- and nano-plastics in the environment. These approaches offer a promising path toward degrading persistent plastic particles that accumulate in marine and drinking water systems.

2017 Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Applications 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic Degradation and Remediation of Microplastics

This review chapter examines photocatalysis as a remediation strategy for microplastic pollution in aquatic and terrestrial environments, describing how solar energy conversion drives chemical reactions that degrade plastic particles. The authors assess the current state of photocatalytic methods, their mechanisms, and their potential for sustainable microplastic removal.

2024 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic Perception for Degradation of Macro- and Micro-plastics

This review examines photocatalytic approaches for degrading both macro- and micro-plastics, surveying semiconductor-based and other photocatalytic systems capable of breaking down persistent plastic polymers in aquatic and terrestrial environments. The paper evaluates the mechanisms, efficiency, and scalability of photocatalysis as a remediation technology alongside conventional plastic waste management strategies.

2024 ACS symposium series 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Catalytic degradation of microplastics

This review summarizes catalytic approaches for degrading microplastics in the environment, covering photocatalysis, Fenton reactions, and other advanced oxidation methods, and evaluates their current effectiveness and limitations for addressing real-world microplastic contamination.

2023 Russian Chemical Reviews 21 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

Photocatalytic Degradation of Plastic

This review examines photocatalytic degradation as a method for breaking down plastic waste using light-activated chemical reactions. Photocatalytic approaches could offer a way to degrade both plastic debris and microplastics already present in the environment without generating toxic byproducts.

2021 Materials research foundations 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Photocatalytic Degradation of Microplastics: Parameters Affecting Degradation

This review examined the factors affecting photocatalytic degradation of microplastics, covering parameters such as light intensity, catalyst type, pH, and temperature, and discussing how photocatalysis can complement conventional wastewater treatment for microplastic removal.

2023 Advances in Environmental and Engineering Research 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Catalyst Design and Engineering for Enhanced Microplastic Degradation and Upcycling—A Review

This review examined current approaches to microplastic degradation and upcycling, covering photocatalysis, biodegradation, and chemical conversion technologies. The authors identified key challenges in catalyst design and engineering needed to achieve efficient breakdown of microplastics at scale.

2025 Catalysts
Article Tier 2

Catalytic and biocatalytic degradation of microplastics

This review covers the current state of breaking down microplastics using catalysts and biological agents including enzymes, metals, nanomaterials, and microorganisms. While some approaches show promise for degrading certain plastic types, the field is still developing standardized methods for measuring how well these techniques work. Finding effective ways to break down microplastics is critical for reducing the environmental and health burden of plastic pollution.

2023 Exploration 51 citations
Article Tier 2

New Progress in Plastic Degradation and Conversion by Photocatalysis

This review examines advances in photocatalytic plastic degradation and conversion, covering both the plastic pollution crisis driven by microplastic formation and innovative recycling approaches including primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary methods.

2024 ACS symposium series
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms and the Engineering Approaches for the Degradation of Microplastics

This review provided a comprehensive overview of current microplastic degradation methods, including mechanical, chemical, photocatalytic, and biological approaches, evaluating engineering strategies for efficient microplastic treatment and removal.

2021 ACS ES&T Engineering 172 citations
Article Tier 2

An insight decipher on photocatalytic degradation of microplastics: Mechanism, limitations, and future outlook

This review explains how photocatalysis -- a process that uses light to trigger chemical reactions -- can break down microplastics into harmless carbon dioxide and water. Unlike traditional removal methods that are expensive and often create secondary pollution, photocatalysis offers a more sustainable approach. While still in early stages, this technology could eventually help clean microplastic-contaminated water sources that people depend on.

2024 Environmental Research 104 citations
Article Tier 2

State of the art in the photochemical degradation of (micro)plastics: from fundamental principles to catalysts and applications

This review summarizes research on the photochemical degradation of plastics and microplastics into value-added products and intermediates via photocatalysis. The study covers fundamental principles and catalytic approaches for breaking down plastic pollutants that are otherwise difficult to degrade in the environment.

2023 Journal of Materials Chemistry A 94 citations
Article Tier 2

Light-driven degradation of microplastics: Mechanisms, technologies, and future directions

This review examines photocatalytic technologies for breaking down microplastics using light-driven chemical processes. Researchers found that photocatalysts can potentially mineralize microplastics into carbon dioxide and water, with some approaches also enabling recovery of useful chemical products. The study highlights light-driven degradation as a promising direction for microplastic remediation, though challenges around efficiency and scalability remain to be addressed.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated photothermal and photocatalytic degradation of micro-/nanoplastics: a mini-review with mechanistic insights and future perspectives

This mini-review examines how combined photothermal and photocatalytic technologies can be used to break down micro- and nanoplastics in the environment. Researchers describe how these approaches use light energy to generate heat and reactive chemical species that degrade plastic particles. The study outlines the underlying mechanisms and discusses future directions for making these treatment methods practical at larger scales.

2025 Journal of Materials Chemistry A 17 citations
Article Tier 2

On the degradation of (micro)plastics: Degradation methods, influencing factors, environmental impacts

This review provides a comprehensive overview of methods for degrading microplastics, including photodegradation, thermal degradation, and biodegradation, along with the factors that influence each process. Researchers found that while several degradation approaches show promise in laboratory settings, no mature and effective method is yet available for large-scale engineering applications or natural environments. The study also discusses how degradation products of microplastics can themselves pose environmental risks.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 371 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of Plastic Waste: Environmental Implications and Remediation Approaches

This review examined physical, chemical, and biological degradation mechanisms of microplastics in the environment, including photodegradation, hydrolysis, and microbial breakdown. The authors discussed how degradation generates secondary microplastics and toxic by-products, and reviewed emerging mitigation strategies including advanced oxidation and enzymatic degradation.

2025 International Journal of Scientific Research in Science Engineering and Technology
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Photocatalytic Removal of Microplastics: Mechanisms, Kinetic Degradation, and Reactor Design

This review examines how photocatalytic processes, which use light-activated materials to generate reactive molecules, can be used to break down microplastics in water. Researchers surveyed the mechanisms behind photocatalytic degradation of common plastics like polyethylene and polystyrene, as well as reactor designs that could make the technology practical. The study highlights photocatalysis as a promising approach for tackling microplastic pollution but notes that scaling up these systems remains a major challenge.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of Nanomaterials in the Degradation of Micro and Nano Plastics

This review examined the application of nanomaterials for degrading micro- and nanoplastics, covering photocatalytic, oxidative, and biological nanomaterial approaches and evaluating their efficiency and scalability for plastic pollution remediation.

2024 BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBLISHERS eBooks
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