Recent developments in (photo)electrocatalytic materials for wastewater treatment and resource recovery

Water scarcity and pollution are among the most pressing global challenges, exacerbated by population growth and technological advancements that deplete water resources and harm ecosystems. Novel wastewater treatment technologies are urgently needed to ensure clean water and sanitation for current and future generations. Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Processes (EAOPs) show significant potential to address these challenges by utilizing sustainable electrode materials to generate oxidants that degrade water pollutants. Material science plays a crucial role in designing efficient, stable, and cost-effective (photo)electrocatalytic materials for wastewater treatment and resource recovery. This review critically examines recent advances in (photo)electrocatalytic materials for EAOPs, emphasizing Anodic Oxidation (AO), Electro-Fenton (EF), and Photoelectrocatalysis (PEC). The fundamentals of AO, EF, and PEC are explored, followed by a discussion on the synthesis, characterization, and applications of anodic, cathodic, and photoelectrode materials. Applications include real wastewater treatment and emerging methods for wastewater valorization, such as energy recovery and the production of value-added products. The review also highlights material intersections in AO, EF, and PEC, identifies key scientific and technological gaps, and offers research perspectives to address current bottlenecks. This work offers a comprehensive overview of material science advancements in EAOPs, aiming to guide future research and support the development of scalable systems for wastewater treatment and valorization. • Emerging trends in anodic, cathodic, and photoelectrode materials for wastewater treatment. • Novel materials for electrochemical resource recovery from wastewater. • Materials intersections between AO, EF and PEC. • Novel treatment solutions incorporating resource recovery. • Gaps and future perspectives in electrochemical advanced oxidation processes.