Removal of Pharmaceutical Pollutants from Aquatic Mediums Using MXene Nanocomposites: Mechanisms, Advances, and Challenges

Younis, Alaa; Alfaiz, Majd; Alrasheedi, Muneera; Almotiry, Sitah

doi:10.21608/ejabf.2025.431759.6766

Removal of Pharmaceutical Pollutants from Aquatic Mediums Using MXene Nanocomposites: Mechanisms, Advances, and Challenges

Document Type : Review articles

Authors

Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Qassim University, Buraidah, 51452, Saudi Arabia

10.21608/ejabf.2025.431759.6766

Abstract

Pharmaceutical pollutants are now seen as one of the growing environmental problems worldwide. They remain in water for long periods, accumulate in ecosystems, and can contribute to antimicrobial resistance. Most traditional wastewater treatment systems cannot remove these substances efficiently because of their strong chemical stability and complex molecular structures. In recent studies, two-dimensional materials called MXenes, made of transition metal carbides and nitrides, have shown strong potential for removing pharmaceutical compounds. Their layered design, wide surface area, and reactive sites make them effective through several mechanisms such as electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking, photocatalytic degradation, and electrochemical oxidation. When MXenes are combined with other materials like polymers, metal oxides (for example, TiO₂ and ZnO), or carbon-based substances, their performance and stability improve even more. In addition, they can be reused through regeneration methods like solvent washing or electrochemical reactivation without losing much efficiency. Overall, MXenes provide a promising and sustainable solution for the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater.

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