STUDY OF THE APPLICATION OF COPPER-DOPED ZINC OXIDE NANOPARTICLES IN THE MICROSCALE PHOTODEGRADATION OF POLYETHYLENE

• Grant number: 23/00348-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: January 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Rezende Triboni
• Grantee: Nicoly Milhardo Lourenço Nohara
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Microplastics are ubiquitous recalcitrant substances that, associated with other compounds, increase their polluting potential, and cause numerous problems to human health. Conventional treatments were not efficient in the degradation of microplastics, indicating the need for additional steps or more effective processes, such as heterogeneous photocatalysis. Over the last decades, heterogeneous photocatalysis has shown consistent and satisfactory results in the degradation of recalcitrant compounds. However, photocatalysis to mitigate harmful microplastics (or microscale polymers) is recent. The goal of the present study is, in an unprecedented way, using nanoparticles (NP) zinc oxide doped with copper (Cu-ZnO) for the photodegradation of microscale polyethylene. The NPs (Cu-ZnO and pure ZnO) will be prepared through sol-gel methods varying parameters such as glycerol/water ratio (1:2, 1:1 and 2:1), copper doping levels (0, 5%; 1.0% and 1.5%) and the heating treatment (300°C, 400°C and 500°C), which will account as variables in terms of % of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The three samples with major response will be used in photocatalytic tests, in addition to pure ZnO. Photocatalytic tests will be carried out in a standard photoreactor for at least 50 h, considering reaction conditions as pH (3.0-3.5; 7.0-7.5; 11.0-11.5) and photocatalyst/polyethylene (1:2, 1:1 and 2:1) ratio. The response variable for this stage will be the degradation of polyethylene. These results will be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively at the University of Modena (Italy) as part of a joint project

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

NOHARA, NICOLY MILHARDO LOURENCO; ARIZA-TARAZONA, MARIA CAMILA; TRIBONI, EDUARDO REZENDE; NOHARA, EVANDRO LUIS; VILLARREAL-CHIU, JUAN FRANCISCO; CEDILLO-GONZALEZ, ERIKA IVETH. Are you drowned in microplastic pollution? A brief insight on the current knowledge for early career researchers developing novel remediation strategies. Science of The Total Environment, v. 918, p. 32-pg., 2024-02-08. (23/00348-9)