Insight on the development of molybdenum oxide-based photocatalyst towards pharmaceutical pollutants abatement

Abstract

The presence of pharmaceutical compounds in the environment has given an unparallel impact on the human and environment. Till the present day, several methods have been imposed for the pharmaceutical pollutants' removal. However, these methods suffer from some drawbacks which limited their application in wastewater treatment. As a new advanced technology, the photocatalysis method has been considered as an efficient method to eliminate the pharmaceutical pollutants in the water matrix. Molybdenum oxide (MoO3) photocatalyst has captivated global interest due to its non-toxicity, good thermal and chemical stability, and remarkable optical properties. However, the limitations of MoO3material have hindered its theoretical performance in eliminating distinct pharmaceutical pollutants. Some modification strategies have been proposed for MoO3photocatalyst which results in the development of several modified MoO3photocatalysts towards a broad range of pharmaceutical pollutants removal.