Upcycling of plastic wastes, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into photocatalyst under visible light: Application for dye removal

초록

Upcycling waste plastics for photocatalyst production can be a promising strategy for management and prevention of plastic waste. This study aims to synthesise iron oxide-modified titania (IMT) nanocomposite photocatalysts using waste plastic, polyethylene terephthalate, and to evaluate their effectiveness in dye removal. The IMT photocatalysts were synthesised by loading iron-MOFs (Fe-MOFs) onto TiO2, resulting in an octahedral crystal structure shaped by both Fe and TiO2. Hydroxyl radical production of IMT photocatalyst was demonstrated superior efficiency compared to the standard visible light photocatalyst, g-C3N4. Moreover, the removal efficiency of organic dyes such as cationic and anionic dyes (Methylene Blue, Rhodamine B, Eosin Y and Bromophenol Blue) by the photocatalysts successfully achieved as 90 % removal for both Eosin Y and Bromophenol Blue meanwhile 75 % removal for Rhodamine B, and 60 % removal for Methylene Blue. Cationic dyes revealed particularly high removal efficiencies. The synthesised IMT photocatalyst offers a cost-effective solution for removing organic dyes and contributes to global efforts in managing plastic waste and mitigating environmental pollution. © 2025 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry

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