Thermal catalytic degradation of organic pollutants conducted in the dark at room temperature under atmospheric pressure without the need of external chemicals and energy sources has attracted a lot of attention over the last two decades. It provides unparalleled advantages over other advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in treating domestic and industrial contaminated wastewater from the viewpoint of energy/chemical conservation and ease of operation. Rich knowledge has been accumulated in terms of the synthesis and application of thermal catalysts though controversies remain regarding their underlying mechanisms. This review sheds light on the proposed thermo- catalysis mechanism for the first time and presents the development of thermal catalysts under dark ambient conditions with a focus on catalyst materials, catalytic activity, and mechanism. The present review aims to provide mechanistic insights into the rational design of novel and efficient catalysts, and their underlying mechanisms as well as the emerging challenges and perspectives in thermo-catalysis under dark ambient conditions used for the practical and efficient treatment of contaminated wastewater.
