Two-dimensional materials beyond graphene for the detection and removal of antibiotics: A critical review

Antibiotics are infiltrating the natural environment worldwide owing to their extensive use, and this proliferation poses significant threats to human health and ecological safety. Consequently, more efficient approaches for antibiotic detection and removal are urgently needed. Motivated by the success of graphene, many two-dimensional materials beyond graphene (2DMs-bg) with unique physiochemical properties have garnered tremendous interest and been applied in many fields, including antibiotic pollution treatment. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the application of five kinds of 2DMs-bg, including MoS₂, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄), hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and transition metal carbides or nitrides (MXenes) to detect, adsorb, and degrade antibiotics. In antibiotic detection applications, only MoS₂ and g-C₃N₄ are used, and the research on these two 2DMs-bg is still in the initial stages. Additionally, MoS₂, LDHs, and h-BN have been used for antibiotic adsorption in few studies. Although there are few published results, h-BN has been shown to have a better adsorption capacity than most current graphene-based adsorbents. MoS₂, g-C₃N₄, LDHs, h-BN, and MXenes have all been applied for antibiotic degradation. Among them, MoS₂ and g-C₃N₄ have demonstrated promising elimination capacities, which are better than those of graphene. Finally, we present persistent challenges and propose future perspectives for this avenue of ongoing research.