Carbon-Based Electrodes: Harnessing Organic Compound Oxidation for Sustainable Redox Flow Batteries

Carbon-based materials, due to their natural abundance, high conductivity, tunable surface chemistry, and good stability, have emerged as a material choice in the electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) for catalytic degradation of organic compounds. Recent progress is summarized from the perspective of materials design and engineering. Specifically, the fundamental mechanisms underlying EAOPs are introduced, with a focus on the activation of hydrogen peroxide, peroxymonosulfate, and peroxydisulfate to generate reactive species essential for organic contaminants degradation in wastewater. Additionally, various materials engineering strategies and their associated structure-property relationships are examined, including the optimization of morphology, surface functional group modification, and elemental doping. The reviewed materials are categorized based on their suitability for specific applications, such as electro-Fenton, heterogeneous electro-Fenton, and nonelectro-Fenton processes. Furthermore, strategies for enhancing the overall performance of EAOP systems are discussed, including the design of bipolar electrodes and the integration of external fields, such as microwaves, to accelerate EAOP reactions through the modulation of electrode potentials. Finally, the perspective outlines the opportunities, challenges, and future directions of carbon-based materials in the catalytic field of EAOPs. In addition, the perspective examines the potential and hurdles of carbon-based electrodes in sustainable redox flow batteries, outlining pathways toward efficient, sustainable water treatment.