Hematite-based nanomaterials for photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs): A short review

Abstract

The excessive uses of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have led to the presence of trace amount of PPCPs in water bodies. Photocatalysis can be an efficient technology for the challenging PPCPs remediation in the environment. A nontoxic and stable compound, a-Fe₂O₃, possesses a lower band gap and magnetism and can be a potential catalyst for photocatalytic and photochemical degradation of PPCPs. However, the application of a-Fe₂O₃ in photocatalysis is limited due to the faster recombination of electron–hole pairs. In recent years, numerous studies on a-Fe₂O₃ modification to improve its photocatalytic efficiency have been published. This article provides a brief summary and progress on a-Fe₂O₃-based nanomaterials for the degradation of various PPCPs by photocatalysis and photochemical oxidation.