Photoreforming of plastic waste poly (ethylene terephthalate) via in-situ derived CN-CNTs-NiMo hybrids

Photoreforming of plastic waste is a novel approach, which can not only degrade plastic waste into valuable chemicals, but also produce high-energy-density hydrogen fuels. Here, we developed an in-situ derived carbon nitride-carbon nanotubes-NiMo hybrids via NiMo-assisted catalysis route, which works as an efficient and stable photocatalyst for plastics photoreforming. The strong pi-pi interaction between in-situ derived CNTs and CN promotes electron transfer, increases carrier lifetime and improves photocatalytic activity. The DFT calculations and single-particle PL quenching phenomenon confirmed the strong interface effect and charge transport for CN-CNTs-NM. In addition, the strong interaction between photocatalyst and ethylene glycol in plastics was observed in situ by single-particle PL. This work provides a smart strategy of utilizing in-situ derived pi-pi interaction as well as direct evidence of the charge transfer from the photocatalysts to ethylene glycol, which provides guidance for the rational design of highly efficient photocatalysts for plastics photoreforming.

Automated summary

Photoreforming of plastic waste is achieved by using in-situ derived carbon nitride-carbon nanotubes-NiMo hybrids as efficient and stable photocatalysts. The strong pi-pi interaction between in-situ derived CNTs and CN promotes electron transfer, increasing carrier lifetime and enhancing photocatalytic activity. The strong interaction between the photocatalyst and ethylene glycol in plastics is observed, providing evidence of charge transfer and guiding the rational design of highly efficient photocatalysts for plastics photoreforming.