Photoreforming of plastic waste into value-added chemicals with hydrogen production

Abstract

Plastics, as widely used synthetic materials, continue to threaten ecosystems and human health but represent untapped carbon–hydrogen resources. Conventional plastic treatment approaches suffer from low efficiency and secondary environmental pollution, and typically involve harsh conditions and extra energy input, underscoring the urgent demand for sustainable alternatives. Recently, photoreforming of plastics has emerged as a promising strategy for plastic treatment, enabling the conversion of plastic waste into high-value chemicals with hydrogen production using solar energy under ambient conditions, which is highly promising. This review summarizes recent advances in photocatalytic conversion of plastics. First, it clarifies the underlying mechanisms of photoreforming of plastics. Second, photocatalysts (metal oxides/sulfides, noble metals, carbon–nitrogen materials, MOFs/COFs, etc.) are categorized, with a focus on their structure–activity relationships and corresponding optimization strategies. Third, progress in the conversion of major plastics is discussed in detail, emphasizing catalytic performance, product selectivity, and key mechanistic insights. Finally, current limitations and future directions are discussed. This review provides a comprehensive overview of photoreforming of plastics, offering insights into the usage of plastics as carbon–hydrogen resources toward realizing resource recycling.