Floatable organic-inorganic hybrid-TiO<sub>2</sub> unlocks superoxide radicals for plastic photoreforming in neutral solution.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40319051.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-59467-x and PMC identifier 12049450.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Plastic photoreforming offers a compelling technology to address the global issue of the large amount cumulative plastic waste by converting it into valuable fuels and chemical feedstocks. However, constrained by insufficient mass and energy transfers, the existing hydrophilic plastic photoreforming systems heavily rely on the unsustainable chemical pre-treatments in corrosive solutions. Herein, we demonstrate a conceptual plastic photoreforming system based on a floatable hydrophobic organic-inorganic hybrid-TiO<sub>2</sub> photocatalyst, which unlocks superoxide radical as the major oxidizing species and forms a four-phase interface among photocatalyst, plastic substrate, water and air, thus greatly enhancing the mass and energy transfers. Consequently, the photoreforming yield rates in neutral aqueous solutions are increased by 1-2 orders of magnitude for typical plastic including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride without applying pre-treatments, whilst producing high-value C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>5</sub>OH with a selectivity of over 40%. We believe this work reveals a feasible route to sustainable plastic photoreforming.