Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1. Micro- and Nano-Plastic Pollution: Present Status on Environmental Issues and Photocatalytic Degradation -- 1.1. Introduction -- 1.2. MPs and NPs: Sources, impact and health hazards -- 1.2.1. Micro-plastics -- 1.3. Nano-plastics -- 1.3.1. Sources and environmental risks -- 1.4. Impact of Covid-19 on plastic pollution -- 1.5. Methods for plastic degradation -- 1.5.1. Current methods for plastic degradation -- 1.5.2. Emerging solutions for plastic degradation -- 1.6. Conclusion -- 1.7. Future directions for plastic pollution control -- 1.8. References -- Chapter 2. Metal Oxide-based Smart Materials for Photocatalytic Degradation of Micro- and Nano-Plastics -- 2.1. Introduction -- 2.2. Metal oxide photocatalysts and their characteristics -- 2.2.1. TiO2 -- 2.2.2. ZnO -- 2.2.3. CuO -- 2.2.4. NiO -- 2.3. Conclusion and future prospectives -- 2.4. Acknowledgments -- 2.5. References -- Chapter 3. WO3-based Smart Material for Photocatalytic Degradation of Micro- and Nano-Plastic -- 3.1. Overview of micro- and nano-plastics -- 3.2. Photocatalytic degradation mechanism -- 3.3. Tungsten trioxide (WO3) -- 3.3.1. (WO3)-based smart materials -- 3.3.2. Synthesis of WO3-based smart material -- 3.3.3. A few WO3-based smart materials -- 3.4. Applications and future scope -- 3.5. References -- Chapter 4. The Chemistry of Carbon Nanotubes in Photocatalytic Degradation of Micro- and Nano-Plastic -- 4.1. Introduction -- 4.2. Micro- and nano-plastic -- 4.3. Carbon nanotube materials -- 4.4. Coating of carbon nanotube as photocatalytic degradation materials -- 4.4.1. TiO2 coating -- 4.4.2. ZnO coating -- 4.5. Functionalized carbon nanotube as photocatalytic degradation materials -- 4.5.1. Single wall carbon nanotube -- 4.5.2. Multiwall carbon nanotube.

4.5.3. Noncovalent endohedral and exohedral functionalization with surfactants -- 4.5.4. Graphene-functionalized carbon nanotube -- 4.6. Hetero atom doping of carbon nanotube as photocatalytic degradation material -- 4.7. Conclusion -- 4.8. References -- Chapter 5. Environmental Justifications of MXene towards Photocatalytic Capture and Conversion of Micro- and Nano-Plastic -- 5.1. Introduction -- 5.2. Nanomaterial catalyzed methods for the degradation of micro- and nano-plastics -- 5.3. Photocatalytic degradation of micro- and nano-plastics -- 5.4. MXene: a nanomaterial with diverse applications -- 5.5. Important properties of MXenes -- 5.6. Application of MXene as photocatalyst -- 5.7. Application of MXene-based materials for the degradation of organic pollutants -- 5.8. MXene as photocatalyst for degradation of MPs and NPs -- 5.9. Conclusion -- 5.10. References -- Chapter 6. Metal-Organic Framework based on Functional Materials for Photocatalytic Degradation of Micro- and Nano-Plastic -- 6.1. Introduction -- 6.2. Historical background and discovery of metal-organic frameworks -- 6.3. Bonding in metal-organic frameworks -- 6.4. Dimensionality of metal-organic frameworks -- 6.5. Methods for the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks -- 6.5.1. Ultrasonic synthesis -- 6.5.2. Electrochemical synthesis -- 6.5.3. Mechanochemical synthesis -- 6.5.4. Microwave synthesis -- 6.6. Properties of metal-organic frameworks -- 6.7. Micro- and nano-plastics -- 6.7.1. Photocatalytic degradation of micro- and nano-plastics -- 6.7.2. Mechanism of photocatalytic degradation -- 6.7.3. Changes in micro-/nano-plastics morphology in photocatalytic degradation -- 6.8. Factors influencing photocatalytic degradation efficiency -- 6.9. Role of micromotors in photocatalytic degradation of MPs/NPs.

6.10. Photocatalytic water purification: removal of micro- and nano-plastics from water -- 6.10.1. Photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene terephthalate nano-plastics -- 6.10.2. Photodisintegration of emerging pollutants -- 6.11. References -- Chapter 7. Carbon-based Materials for Photocatalytic Degradation of Micro- and Nano-plastics -- 7.1. Introduction -- 7.2. Classification of carbon-based nanomaterials -- 7.2.1. Carbon nanotubes -- 7.2.2. Single-walled carbon nanotubes -- 7.2.3. Double-walled carbon nanotubes -- 7.2.4. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes -- 7.2.5. Fullerene -- 7.2.6. Nanodiamonds -- 7.2.7. Carbon dots -- 7.2.8. Graphene -- 7.2.9. Graphene nanoribbons -- 7.2.10. Graphene quantum dots -- 7.3. An overview of photocatalysts' breakdown of MPs and NPs -- 7.4. Carbonaceous nanomaterials -- 7.4.1. Graphene, RGO (reduced graphene oxide) and GO -- 7.4.2. Carbon nanotubes -- 7.4.3. Nano-graphite -- 7.4. Conclusion -- 7.5. References -- Chapter 8. Graphene-based Materials for Photodegradation of Micro- and Nano-Plastics -- 8.1. Introduction -- 8.1.1. Overview of micro-plastics -- 8.1.2. Overview of nano-plastics -- 8.1.3. Environmental impact of micro- and nano-plastics -- 8.1.4. Better alternatives to plastics -- 8.1.5. Status of plastic recycling in India with other countries -- 8.2. Graphene-based materials -- 8.3. Structure and characteristics of graphene-based materials -- 8.4. Photodegradation and graphene-based materials -- 8.5. Application of GMBs in removal/degradation/remediation of different pollutants -- 8.6. Photodegradation of micro- and nano-plastics by graphene-based materials -- 8.7. Challenges and future perspectives -- 8.8. Environmental fate of graphene-based materials -- 8.9. Conclusion -- 8.10. References -- Chapter 9. 2D Nanomaterials for Photocatalytic Degradation of Micro- and Nano-Plastics -- 9.1. Introduction.

9.2. 2D materials -- 9.2.1. Graphene family -- 9.2.2. Transition metal dichalcogenides and MXenes -- 9.2.3. Phosphorene -- 9.2.4. Oxides and hydroxide materials -- 9.3. Synthesis of 2D materials -- 9.4. Properties and applications of 2D materials -- 9.5. Application of 2D materials in photocatalytic degradation -- 9.6. Micro- and nano-plastics -- 9.7. Micro- and nano-plastics identification -- 9.7.1. Microscopy: stereo microscopy and dissecting microscopy -- 9.7.2. Fluorescence microscopy -- 9.7.3. Transmission electron microscopy -- 9.7.4. Scanning electron microscopy -- 9.7.5. Atomic force microscopy -- 9.7.6. FTIR spectroscopy -- 9.7.7. Raman spectroscopy -- 9.7.8. Thermal analysis -- 9.7.9. New approaches and new identification strategies -- 9.7.10. Impact of micro- and nano-plastics on human health -- 9.8. Photocatalytic degradation of micro- and nano-plastic -- 9.9. Photocatalytic degradation of micro- and nano-plastic through 2D materials -- 9.10. Summary and conclusion -- 9.11. Acknowledgments -- 9.12. References -- Chapter 10. Hybrid 2D-Smart Materials in Photocatalytic Degradation of Micro- and Nano-Plastics -- 10.1. Introduction -- 10.2. 2D materials: properties and functionalities -- 10.2.1. Electronic properties -- 10.2.2. Optical properties -- 10.2.3. Mechanical properties -- 10.2.4. Thermal properties -- 10.2.5. Chemical properties and functionalization -- 10.2.6. Synergistic effects in hybrid 2D materials -- 10.3. Hybrid 2D-smart materials: design and synthesis -- 10.3.1. Synthesis techniques -- 10.3.2. Examples of hybrid 2D-smart materials -- 10.4. Mechanisms of photocatalytic degradation of micro- and nano-plastics -- 10.4.1. Initiation of degradation -- 10.4.2. Role of photocatalyst morphology and composition -- 10.4.3. Pathways of degradation -- 10.4.4. Environmental factors and degradation efficiency.

10.5. Degradation of micro-plastics in marine environments -- 10.5.1. Photocatalytic degradation of nano-plastics in wastewater treatment -- 10.5.2. Integration of photocatalytic coatings in water purification systems -- 10.5.3. Photocatalytic degradation of micro-plastics in agricultural soils -- 10.6. Challenges, limitations and future scopes -- 10.7. Conclusions -- 10.8. References -- Chapter 11. Design and Structural Modification of Advanced Biomaterials for Photocatalytic Degradation of Micro- and Nano-Plastics -- 11.1. Introduction -- 11.1.1. Plastic pollution: a global challenge -- 11.1.2. Photocatalytic degradation: a green approach -- 11.2. Smart biomaterials: overview and selection criteria -- 11.2.1. Definition and characteristics of smart biomaterials -- 11.2.2. Selection criteria for smart biomaterials -- 11.3. Design principles for enhanced photocatalysis -- 11.3.1. Tailoring optical properties -- 11.3.2. Surface functionalization for targeted activity -- 11.4. Structural modifications for improved efficiency -- 11.4.1. Nanocomposite formation -- 11.4.2. Porosity enhancement -- 11.5. Case studies and applications -- 11.5.1. Titanium dioxide nanomaterials -- 11.5.2. Graphene-based smart biomaterials -- 11.6. Challenges and future perspectives -- 11.6.1. Overcoming biocompatibility concerns -- 11.6.2. Scalability and cost-effectiveness -- 11.6.3. Integration with other remediation techniques -- 11.7. Conclusion -- 11.8. References -- Chapter 12. Nanocomposites: Sustainable Resources for Photodegradation of Micro- and Nano-Plastics -- 12.1. Introduction -- 12.1.1. Addressing environmental challenges with nanocomposites -- 12.2. Photocatalytic degradation of micro- and nano-plastics -- 12.3. Nanocomposites in environmental remediation -- 12.3.1. Understanding nanocomposites.