Research Directions for Promoting Applications of Advanced Oxidation Processes in Water Remediation

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are effective technologies for addressing the growing threat of water pollution to the eco-environment and human health. In spite of continuous improvements in decontamination achieved through laboratory-scale research over decades, converting these scientific achievements into reliable, large-scale engineering solutions remains challenging. This gap primarily stems from the mismatch between research priorities and practical engineering requirements, specifically reflected in significant differences in catalyst application, reactor configuration, byproduct management, treatment objects, and operating conditions. Accordingly, we reveal the engineering understanding and research achievements in these areas and, meanwhile, propose insights to shift research priorities based on engineering bottlenecks to accelerate the implementation of AOPs. By evaluating emerging strategies such as precise oxidation, sustainable system design, machine-learning-assisted optimization, and resource recovery, this perspective provides future development directions for AOPs. Shifting from the pursuit of isolated academic indicators to a comprehensive and engineering-oriented scientific research paradigm is further proposed. Effective dialogue and collaboration between fundamental research and engineering practice are conducive to accelerating the deployment of AOPs in real-world water remediation.