Figure 1. Turning Plastic Waste into Clean Hydrogen with Sunlight (IMAGE)

Institute for Basic Science

Figure 1. Turning Plastic Waste into Clean Hydrogen with Sunlight

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This illustration shows how a newly developed floatable nanocomposite system produces hydrogen gas by using sunlight to break down everyday plastic waste. The sponge-like material floats on water and absorbs sunlight while converting discarded PET bottles and PLA cups into useful byproducts like ethylene glycol, terephthalic acid, and lactic acid. At the same time, it releases clean hydrogen gas into the air. This simple yet powerful process demonstrates a sustainable and scalable way to upcycle plastic waste into renewable energy using only natural sunlight and water.

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Institute for Basic Science

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