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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM66412
Volume:
10 |
7 |
Jul 2026
Pages:
1-5
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
Engineering Science
Keystone School Of Engineering Pune.
Engineering Science
Keystone School Of Engineering Pune.
Engineering Science
Jayawantrao Sawant College of Engineering,pune.
Engineering Science
ayawantrao Sawant College of Engineering,pune.Keystone School Of Engineering Pune.
The widespread use of polyethylene (PE) has led to a significant increase in plastic waste, posing serious environmental and ecological challenges due to its chemical stability, hydrophobic nature, and resistance to natural degradation. Conventional plastic waste management methods, including landfilling, incineration, and mechanical recycling, have several limitations, such as secondary pollution, high energy consumption, and reduced material quality. In recent years, visible-light photocatalysis has emerged as a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach for polyethylene degradation by utilizing abundant solar energy under mild operating conditions. Unlike traditional UV-responsive photocatalysts, visible-light-active semiconductor photocatalysts offer enhanced solar energy utilization and improved photocatalytic efficiency. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances (2022–2026) in the visible-light photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene using modified semiconductor photocatalysts. Various modification strategies, including metal and non-metal doping, heterojunction construction, defect engineering, surface modification, and nanostructure engineering, are critically discussed to illustrate their roles in extending visible-light absorption, promoting charge separation, suppressing electron–hole recombination, and enhancing the generation of reactive oxygen species responsible for polyethylene oxidation and degradation. The photocatalytic performance of recently reported semiconductor systems, such as modified TiO₂, ZnO, g-C₃N₄, BiVO₄, WO₃, BiOBr, and their composite materials, is comparatively evaluated with respect to degradation efficiency, catalyst stability, mineralization, reaction conditions, and degradation mechanisms. The review further discusses the fundamental degradation pathways, characterization techniques, and key factors influencing photocatalytic performance, including catalyst composition, morphology, crystallinity, light intensity, oxygen availability, and polyethylene properties. Current challenges, such as limited visible-light absorption, catalyst deactivation, slow degradation kinetics, scalability, and the lack of standardized evaluation protocols, are critically examined. Finally, future research directions focusing on advanced heterojunction photocatalysts, single-atom catalysts, plasmonic materials, machine learning-assisted catalyst design, operando characterization, and solar-driven continuous photocatalytic systems are proposed to accelerate the practical implementation of photocatalytic plastic waste remediation. Overall, this review highlights the significant potential of modified semiconductor photocatalysts as sustainable materials for visible-light-driven polyethylene degradation and provides valuable insights for the rational design of next-generation photocatalytic systems for efficient plastic waste management and environmental protection.
KEYWORDS
Visible-light photocatalytic degradation using modified semiconductor photocatalysts has emerged as a promising and sustainable approach for polyethylene (PE) waste management. Recent advances (2022–2026) demonstrate that catalyst modification strategies, including metal and non-metal doping, heterojunction construction, and defect engineering, significantly improve visible-light absorption, charge separation, and photocatalytic efficiency. Photocatalysts such as modified TiO₂, ZnO, g-C₃N₄, BiVO₄, and WO₃ have shown enhanced performance in degrading polyethylene under visible-light irradiation. Despite these developments, challenges such as slow degradation rates, catalyst stability, scalability, and incomplete mineralization remain. Future research should focus on designing highly efficient, stable, and cost-effective photocatalysts, optimizing reactor systems, and utilizing natural sunlight to enable large-scale, environmentally friendly plastic waste remediation. Overall, visible-light photocatalysis represents a promising strategy for sustainable polyethylene degradation and supports the transition toward a circular plastic economy.
[1] Boruah, P., et al. (2025). Progress on photo-, electro-, and photoelectrocatalytic conversion of recalcitrant polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene: A review. ChemSusChem. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202401714 [2] Ejeta, S. Y., & Imae, T. (2026). Photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene microplastics by copper-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Chemosphere, 394, 144819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.1 44819 [3] Jung, Y. J., & Kim, I. Y. (2025). Recent advances and protocol summaries for degradation of polyethylene microplastics using TiO₂-based photocatalysts. Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society, 46(3), 198–210. https://doi.org/10.1002/bkcs.70004 [4] Sun, Y., & O'Connell, D. W. (2022). Application of visible-light-active photocatalysis for water contaminants: A review. Water Environment Research, 94(10), e10781. https://doi.org/10.1002/wer.10781 [5] Wang, H., Zhang, X., Li, Y., & Chen, J. (2024). Visible-light-responsive semiconductor photocatalysts for environmental remediation: Recent advances and future perspectives. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. [6] Liu, X., Zhao, Y., Wang, L., & Sun, Z. (2024). Engineering heterojunction photocatalysts for efficient visible-light degradation of plastic pollutants. Chemical Engineering Journal. [7] Kumar, A., Singh, R., & Sharma, P. (2024). Recent progress in semiconductor photocatalysts for plastic waste degradation. Catalysis Today. [8] Zhang, Y., Chen, L., Wang, H., & Li, J. (2023). Graphitic carbon nitride-based photocatalysts for visible-light environmental applications. Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy. [9] Li, X., Wang, J., & Zhao, H. (2023). Metal-doped ZnO photocatalysts for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic applications. Journal of Hazardous Materials. [10] Chen, Y., Liu, Z., & Xu, H. (2023). TiO₂-based heterojunction photocatalysts for solar-driven degradation of polymeric waste. Separation and Purification Technology.
Publication Date
7/30/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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