Global industrialization has intensified the emission of emerging contaminants (ECs), posing a serious threat to the environment and human health. Persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PS-AOPs) have become a research hotspot due to their efficient degradation capability and environmentally friendly features; carbon-based materials are ideal catalysts for activating persulfate (PS) due to their tunable electronic structure, abundant active sites, and low cost. This study summarizes the application of carbon-based materials (graphene, single-atom catalysts (SACs), etc.) in PS-AOPs, and provides insights into the degradation mechanisms of radicals (e.g., sulfate radical (SO₄^−·), hydroxyl radical (·OH)) and non-radicals (e.g., ¹O₂(singlet oxygen), electron transfer). The removal efficacy of carbon-based catalysts for antibiotics, phenols, and dyes was compared, and the key degradation pathways were elucidated. In addition, the activation of PS can be accelerated, and catalytic efficiency can be improved by synergizing with ancillary technologies (e.g., light, electricity). Despite the great potential of carbon-based catalysts, their large-scale application is limited by the complexity of the catalyst preparation process and the lack of selectivity for complex water qualities. Future studies can accelerate the practical application of PS-AOPs in wastewater treatment through the precise design of SACs and the construction of multi-mechanism synergistic activation systems.

The conversion of CO₂ into high-value-added chemicals and fuels using electricity generated from renewable energy sources is one of the most promising methods to reduce the dependence of human society on fossil fuels and to alleviate environmental problems. The performance of catalysts is one of the most important factors restricting the development of this technology, and in recent years, carbon materials have been the hot spot of research in the field of CO₂ electrocatalytic reduction catalysts. In this paper, the progress of the application of carbon materials in CO₂ electrocatalytic reduction reaction (ECR) is reviewed in detail. Three aspects of carbon materials directly as metal-free carbon material catalysts for CO₂ reduction, metal-centered coatings in metal catalysts, and support for metals, are comprehensively described, respectively, including the preparation strategy of catalysts, the mechanism of action and structural characteristics of catalysts, the distribution of products and the catalytic performance of catalysts. Finally, the problems and challenges faced by the field are summarized, and the outlook is presented in various areas, including catalyst preparation, performance enhancement, and deepening mechanism research.