Photocatalytic degradation of different types of microplastics by TiOx/ZnO tetrapod photocatalysts

Photocatalytic systems: reactions, mechanism, and applications

“…Growing concerns about the pollution caused by microplastics (MPs) and the persistence of plastics in the environment (natural degradation would take centuries) have led to increased production of plastics and an increased interest in potential remediation techniques for MP pollution. 294–306 Large plastic fragments (megaplastics, macroplastics, and mesoplastics) and tiny plastic debris (MPs, measuring between 1 μm and 5 mm, and nanoplastics (NPs, measuring less than 1 μm) are among the plastics found in the environment. 295,297 The MPs are made up of primary MPs, which are produced in that size and are usually found in textiles or personal care goods, and secondary MPs, which are produced by breaking up bigger plastic trash.…”

“… 295–297,300 Of these, photocatalysis is the most interesting since it is usually carried out under gentler circumstances than chemical degradation (catalysis) and has a substantially better degradation efficiency than biodegradation. 294,300,302 Furthermore, as other self-propelled microrobot instances have shown, photocatalysis may be used in conjunction with waste plastic collecting to capture and degrade MPs. 307–310 Furthermore, photocatalytic degradation can break down a variety of polymers into smaller plastic pieces, smaller organic molecules, and eventually CO 2 since it lacks selectivity.…”

“…Metal oxides have been extensively studied as photocatalysts for the breakdown of microplastics. 294,298,301,303 Examples of these oxides include TiO 2 (ref. 311–314 ) and ZnO.…”

Layered Double Hydroxide-Based Photocatalysts for the Removal of Emerging Contaminants: Progress in Past Ten Years

“…MPs accumulate in water and migrate to various places with the flow of the water, and they can enrich heavy metal ions in water due to their large specific surface area. Additionally, MPs accompanied by heavy metals can easily enter the human body and cause harm to human health [142,143]. Jiang et al prepared a CuMgAlTi−R400 composite photomaterial for the photocatalytic degradation of polystyrene and polyethylene.…”