Comprehensive analysis of research trends and prospects in electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) for wastewater treatment.

Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) have emerged as a promising approach for efficient wastewater treatment. However, despite their promising potential, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis regarding the research trends, bibliometric data, and research frontiers of EAOPs. To address this gap, this study conducted a thorough and comprehensive analysis of 2347 related articles in the Web of Science Core Collection Database from 2012 to 2022. The analysis included information on countries, authors, institutions, and more, with a focus on summarizing trends and cutting-edge research hotspots in the field. The University of Barcelona in Spain is the most effective institution. Brillas E. is the most productive author in the world. Research hotspots in EAOPs have evolved from traditional anodic oxidation (AO) to novel electro-Fenton (EF) technology, which focuses on efficient generation of HO and the use of metal-organic frameworks to enhance performance and efficiency. Through systematic research hotspot analysis, the importance of performance comparison of different types of EAOPs, development of new materials, optimization of device parameters, and toxicity assessment of byproducts is highlighted. Concurrently, the rise and mechanisms of emerging EAOPs are predicted and analyzed. Finally, future research on EAOPs technologies should focus on technological coupling, development of new materials, reduction of energy consumption and cost, evaluation and minimization of toxicity, and exploration of green renewable energy sources for larger-scale applications in wastewater treatment pilot plants. In this way, these technologies can contribute to the sustainability of larger industrial wastewater treatment applications and make an important contribution to environmental protection and scientific and technological progress.