With the rapid progression of global industrialization and urbanization, emerging contaminants (ECs) have become pervasive in environmental media, posing considerable risks to ecosystems and human health. While multidisciplinary evidence continues to accumulate regarding their environmental persistence and bioaccumulative hazards, critical knowledge gaps persist in understanding their spatiotemporal distribution, cross-media migration mechanisms, and cascading ecotoxicological consequences. This review systematically investigates the global distribution patterns of ECs in aquatic environments over the past five years and evaluates their potential ecological risks. Furthermore, it examines the performance of various treatment technologies, focusing on economic cost, efficiency, and environmental sustainability. Methodologically aligned with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, this study implements dual independent screening protocols, stringent inclusion–exclusion criteria (n = 327 studies). Key findings reveal the following: (1) Occurrences of ECs show geographical clustering in highly industrialized river basins, particularly in Asia (37.05%), Europe (24.31%), and North America (14.01%), where agricultural pharmaceuticals and fluorinated compounds contribute disproportionately to environmental loading. (2) Complex transboundary pollutant transport through atmospheric deposition and oceanic currents, coupled with compound-specific partitioning behaviors across water–sediment–air interfaces. (3) Emerging hybrid treatment systems (e.g., catalytic membrane bioreactors, plasma-assisted advanced oxidation) achieve > 90% removal for recalcitrant ECs, though requiring 15–40% cost reductions for scalable implementation. This work provides actionable insights for developing adaptive regulatory frameworks and advancing green chemistry principles in environmental engineering practice.

The dominance of non-renewable energy sources in global consumption exacerbates environmental challenges, driving the development of renewable energy and energy storage systems. The emergence of supercapacitors as pivotal energy storage devices is attributed to their prolonged cycle life and high-power density. Among the various materials under investigation, MXenes have garnered considerable attention due to their expeditious electron transfer, exceptional redox activity, and unique layered structure. MXenes are synthesized by etching MAX phase precursors, and their morphology and electrochemical performance are strongly influenced by the etching method. This review endeavors to summarize the structure, synthesis, and properties of MXenes. It also examines how factors such as morphology, size, electrode design, and electrolyte composition affect their supercapacitor performance. Additionally, it highlights recent advances in MXene-based composites for energy storage. Finally, it outlines current research challenges and future directions, proposing potential solutions for next-generation energy storage applications.

The global transition toward renewable energy sources has intensified in response to escalating environmental challenges. Nevertheless, the inherent intermittency and instability of renewable energy necessitate the development of reliable energy storage technologies. Supercapacitors are particularly notable for their high specific capacitance, rapid charge and discharge capability, and exceptional cycling stability. Concurrently, the increasing demand for efficient and sustainable energy storage systems has stimulated interest in multifunctional electrode materials that integrate electrocatalytic activity with electrochemical energy storage. Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), owing to their distinctive layered structures, large surface areas, phase state, energy band structure, and intrinsic electrocatalytic properties, have emerged as promising candidates to achieve dual functionality in electrocatalysis and electrochemical energy storage for asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). Specifically, their unique electronic properties and catalytic characteristics promote reversible Faradaic reactions and accelerate charge transfer kinetics, thus markedly enhancing charge storage efficiency and energy density. This review highlights recent advances in TMD-based multifunctional electrodes. It elucidates mechanistic correlations between intrinsic electronic properties and electrocatalytic reactions that influence charge storage processes, guiding the rational design of high-performance ASC systems.