Photocatalytic Degradation of Microplastics in Aquatic Environments: Materials, Mechanisms, Practical Challenges, and Future Perspectives

作者：Yelriza Yeszhan, Kalampyr Bexeitova, Samgat Yermekbayev, Zhexenbek Toktarbay, Jechan Lee, Ronny Berndtsson, Сейтхан Азат · 发表于：Water · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3390/w17142139 · 被引用次数：38 · 研究领域：Microplastics and Plastic Pollution、Nanoparticles: synthesis and applications、Graphene and Nanomaterials Applications

Due to its persistence and potential negative effects on ecosystems and human health, microplastic pollution in aquatic environments has become a major worldwide concern. Photocatalytic degradation is a sustainable manner to degrade microplastics to non-toxic by-products. In this review, comprehensive discussion focuses on the synergistic effects of various photocatalytic materials including TiO2, ZnO, WO3, graphene oxide, and metal–organic frameworks for producing heterojunctions and involving multidimensional nanostructures. Such mechanisms can include the generation of reactive oxygen species and polymer chain scission, which can lead to microplastic breakdown and mineralization. The advancements of material modifications in the (nano)structure of photocatalysts, doping, and heterojunction formation methods to promote UV and visible light-driven photocatalytic activity is discussed in this paper. Reactor designs, operational parameters, and scalability for practical applications are also reviewed. Photocatalytic systems have shown a lot of development but are hampered by shortcomings which include a lack of complete mineralization and production of intermediary secondary products; variability in performance due to the fluctuation in the intensity of solar light, limited UV light, and environmental conditions such as weather and the diurnal cycle. Future research involving multifunctional, environmentally benign photocatalytic techniques—e.g., doped composites or composite-...