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 π-π 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 π-π 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.