Exploring the Structural Properties of Waste-Derived Carbon Nanomaterials for Enhanced Persulfate-Driven Advanced Oxidation Processes.

The rapid accumulation of global solid waste poses a challenge to environmental health, human well-being, and resource sustainability. Solid waste, such as biomass and plastics, is increasingly recognized as a potential resource for producing functional materials. Through methods like pyrolysis, hydrothermal treatment, and chemical vapor deposition, solid waste can be upcycled into carbon-based catalysts for persulfate-driven advanced oxidation processes in environmental decontamination. This Perspective systematically explores waste-derived carbon nanomaterials for persulfate activation. Key structural and chemical factors influencing their catalytic behavior are evaluated, including carbon hybridization states (sp, sp2, and sp3), textural properties, oxygen-containing functional groups, structural defects, and heteroatom or metal doping. Special focus is given to how heteroatom/metal incorporation modulates the electronic structure, enabling persulfate activation through both radical and nonradical pathways. The novelty of this work lies in its integrated approach that bridges waste valorization and the rational design of functional catalysts. Consequently, this Perspective contributes to the advancement of sustainable and resource-efficient technologies for organic pollutant decontamination.