Turning plastic waste into valuable resources: A new photocatalytic approach
2025-03-03
(Press-News.org)
A recent study published in Engineering presents an innovative strategy for converting plastic waste into useful products. The research, led by a team of scientists from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and other institutions, focuses on polystyrene (PS), a commonly used plastic that poses significant challenges for waste management.
Plastic pollution has become a pressing environmental issue due to the increasing production and improper disposal of plastic products. PS, in particular, is difficult to degrade naturally and often ends up in landfills or the environment, contributing to the spread of microplastics. Current methods for treating PS waste, such as pyrolysis and chemical oxidation, are energy-intensive and may have negative environmental impacts.
The new approach developed by the researchers involves a photoelectrochemical (PEC) system using a porous tungsten oxide (WO3) photoanode. The key to this method is leveraging the solubility of PS in organic solvents like acetone and chloroform. By dissolving PS in chloroform and using a dip-coating technique, the researchers were able to deposit PS onto the porous WO3 photoanode, ensuring intimate contact between the plastic and the photocatalyst.
The porous structure of the WO3 photoanode, prepared via electrochemical anodization, provides several advantages. It enhances the interaction between the electrolyte and the photoanode, facilitating efficient PEC reactions. Under sunlight illumination, the photogenerated holes in the WO3 photoanode are transferred to the PS, promoting its oxidative degradation. The anodic oxidation of PS generates carbon dioxide, while hydrogen gas is produced at the cathode through water reduction.
The researchers characterized the materials and the PEC performance using various techniques, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). These analyses confirmed the successful deposition of PS on the WO3 photoanode and provided insights into the charge-transfer dynamics and reaction mechanisms.
However, the study also identified some limitations. Complete degradation of PS was not achieved due to PS detachment from the electrode, which was exacerbated by the generation of oxygen bubbles during the PEC process. Despite this, the researchers believe that the detached PS flakes could be separated and redeposited for further treatment.
This research represents a significant step forward in the development of sustainable plastic waste treatment technologies. By converting PS waste into valuable products like hydrogen and benzyl alcohol, the proposed PEC strategy offers a promising solution for waste management and resource recovery. Future studies will focus on optimizing the PEC process, exploring alternative semiconducting materials, and scaling up the technology for practical applications.
The paper “Turning Waste into Valuable Products: Sunlight-Driven Hydrogen from Polystyrene via Porous Tungsten Oxide Photoanodes,” authored by Love Kumar Dhandole, Jun-Tae Kim, Hyoung-il Kim, Sang Hoon Kim, Ji-Young Kim, Jonghun Lim, Gun-hee Moon. Full text of the open access paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2024.12.009. For more information about the Engineering, follow us on X (https://twitter.com/EngineeringJrnl) & like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EngineeringJrnl).
END
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2025-03-03
When sea otters were reintroduced along the coastlines of islands in Southern California and British Columbia, researchers saw kelp forests return to areas that were destroyed by sea urchins. But how slow or fast they grew back depended on the location — and until now, scientists didn’t understand why.
New CU Boulder research found sea otters, an important keystone species, play a vital role in kelp forest recovery, but their level of influence depends on what other species they interact with in salty Pacific Ocean waters. The study, published ...
2025-03-03
A new study from Tulane University suggests that repeated collapse and reopening of tiny alveoli—air sacs in the lungs essential for breathing—during mechanical ventilation may cause microscopic tissue damage, playing a key role in ventilator-related injuries that contribute to thousands of deaths annually.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study sheds light on ventilator-induced lung injury, a complication that gained increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a surge in patients requiring ...
2025-03-03
Osaka, Japan – The human body is full of checks and balances that ensure correct growth, development, and function of all our different systems. Now, researchers from Japan have reported a newly discovered protein interaction that regulates sperm development.
In a study to be published soon in PNAS, a multi-institutional research team led by Osaka University has revealed that the interaction between two specific proteins is crucial for ensuring that sperm cells develop properly.
Sperm formation is a highly complex process that involves many changes ...
2025-03-03
A Yale-led research team has uncovered how a naturally occurring biological mechanism found in mammals is able to prevent sperm cells from interacting with an egg, preventing fertilization.
The discovery, identified in rodent models, offers a new path for scientific research to help people grappling with infertility issues, while also opening a new line of study for developing contraceptive therapies. The findings appear in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“This will have direct implications ...
2025-03-03
In a recent study published in Engineering, researchers have developed an innovative analytical framework for ecological security assessment, prediction, and zoning management. Guided by the Social–Economic–Natural Complex Ecosystems (SENCE) theory, this framework aims to enhance ecological security for sustainable development.
The Daqing River Basin in the North China Plain was chosen as a case study due to its ecological significance and the increasing human-land conflicts. The research team established an assessment index system based on the pressure-state-response ...
2025-03-03
A recent study published in Engineering introduces an innovative design paradigm for reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), aiming to enhance their design efficiency and versatility. This research, led by a team of scientists from Southeast University and Guangzhou University, offers a fresh approach to address the challenges in RIS design.
RISs, enabled by digital coding technology, are crucial for manipulating electromagnetic (EM) waves in real-time. They play a significant role in 5G and 6G research. However, traditional automatic RIS design methods face issues. Most involve extensive numerical simulations ...
2025-03-03
Researchers have widely accepted that impulsivity increases the risk of drug addiction, but the evidence to support this belief is mixed. Exploring the relationship between impulsivity and cocaine use in rats, Yihong Yang and colleagues from the National Institute on Drug Abuse found evidence that contradicts the prevailing view that high impulsivity predicts cocaine use.
One classification of impulsivity is impulsive choice, which can be studied with risky choice tasks and delay-discounting tasks (DDT). During DDT, impulsive individuals prefer smaller, ...
2025-03-03
London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is transforming children’s journeys to school by making streets safer, improving perceptions of air quality and encouraging children to live healthier lives. A new study published today in BMJ Open, and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), highlights its benefits, with many families noticing cleaner air and safer roads. However, it also reveals challenges, particularly for those living in outer boroughs who are more reliant on the car and may struggle to adapt.
Road traffic is a major source of air pollution in London, posing serious health risks. One in 11 children in the city has asthma, a condition ...
2025-03-03
Tulane University researchers have developed a CRISPR-based test that diagnoses Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) — a life-threatening fungal infection primarily affecting children and immunocompromised patients — more quickly and less invasively, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The highly accurate test detects RNA from live fungi in blood samples and throat swabs, eliminating the need for invasive bronchoscopy procedures currently used for diagnosis.
"Current diagnostic methods haven't evolved in ...
2025-03-03
Customized 3D-printed medical implants are becoming more common, and a new study has taken this technology to the next level. Researchers at Naton Biotechnology have developed the world’s first laser 3D-printed total knee implant, which has received official approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration as an innovative medical device.
The study focused on improving the strength and consistency of cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCrMo) alloy implants made using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), a 3D printing process. The team discovered and corrected inconsistencies in the structure of the material ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Turning plastic waste into valuable resources: A new photocatalytic approach
