Highly efficient photoreforming of plastic waste for hydrogen production: recent advances and prospects

The outstanding chemical stability of plastics ensures their broad utility in modern society. However, it simultaneously drives their persistent accumulation and environmental pollution. Developing efficient recycling and upcycling technologies is essential for achieving the sustainable conversion of plastic waste and reducing environmental pollution. The emerging plastic photoreforming technology, though not yet widely implemented, has shown tremendous potential. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles and recent advancements in plastic photoreforming, highlighting the factors that affect the efficiency, including design principles of photocatalysts, reaction conditions and others. Particular emphasis is placed on the evolving research landscape of enhancing hydrogen production and converting plastics into high-value chemicals through synergetic methods including plasma-assisted, thermal-assisted, electro-assisted, ultrasound-assisted, and Fenton-like oxidant-assisted approaches. The challenges associated with achieving efficient production and the prospects for future development are also discussed. Future research should focus on developing robust catalysts and scalable multi-field systems that enable efficient hydrogen production or the generation of other high value chemicals, as well as integrating photoreforming technologies into circular-economy frameworks. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive overview and highlights promising directions for developing multi-field coupling strategies toward sustainable hydrogen production and high-value upcycling of waste plastics.