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The metal- and solvent-free single-step approach for the synthesis of carbon microspheres using various municipal plastic wastes at 700 °C under autogenic pressure is reported. The obtained carbon spheres have been characterized with different microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The microscopic analysis showed formation of carbon microspheres having diameters of 1–8 μm. Among the different types of plastic wastes studied, only polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyacrylate could be converted into carbon spheres with 100% purity, whereas carbon particles with irregular shapes were also observed in the cases of other plastic wastes. The absence of catalyst makes the carbon spheres free from metal impurities and avoids the further purification process. The synthesis of carbon spheres from plastic wastes proceeds with the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons. The nanocrystalline CuO hollow spheres with a wall thickness of ∼130 nm have been prepared using plastic waste-derived carbon spheres as the template material under ultrasonic treatment.

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A facile three-step co-precipitation method is developed to synthesize graphitic carbon nanofibers (CNFs) decorated with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). By interchanging intermediate steps of the reaction processes, two kinds of nanohybrids are fabricated with stark morphological and physicochemical differences. The morphologies differ because of the different chemical environments of the NP/nanocluster formation. The hybrid with larger and non-uniform ZnO nanocluster size is formed in liquid phase and resulted in considerable interfacial defects that deteriorate the charge-transfer properties. The hybrid with smaller and uniform ZnO NPs was formed in a dry solid phase and produced near-defect-free interfaces, leading to efficient charge transfer for superior photocatalytic performance. The results broaden the understanding of the anchoring/bonding mechanism in ZnO/CNF hybrid formation and may facilitate further development of more effective exfoliation strategies for the preparation of high-performance composites/hybrids.