Progress on Photo-, Electro-, and Photoelectro-Catalytic Conversion of Recalcitrant Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polystyrene - A Review

Recalcitrant waste plastics such a polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene are difficult to recycle and are mostly disposed of in landfills and eventually leached into the environmental as micro- and nano-plastics. This review explores how photo-, electro-, and combined photoelectro-catalytic processes can assist in the degradation and upcycling of waste plastic into different chemicals and mitigate their release to the environment. In this work, we discuss how the different reaction mechanisms proceed, explore the current relevant literature, and highlight the developments needed to advance the field.