Various　methods　have　been　reported　for　persulfate　activation　including　the　use　of　heat,　UV,　ultrasound　and　transition　metals.　However,　these　methods　suffer　from　high　energy　input　or　inevitable　leaching　of　toxic　metal　from　metal-based　catalysts,　which　has　limited　their　practical　applications.　Then,　carbonaceous　materials　have　attracted　considerable　interests　as　heterogeneous　catalysts　for　persulfate　activation　owing　to　their　large　surface　area,　unique　adsorption　property　and　metal-free　nature.　Heteroatom　(N,　S,　B,　P,　etc.)　doping　can　not　only　break　carbonaceous　materials＇　network　inertia　to　enhance　the　conductivity,　but　also　can　increase　the　reactive　sites,　resulting　in　the　improvement　of　their　performance　in　persulfate　activation.　In　this　paper,　the　persulfate　activation　mechanisms　of　carbonaceous　materials　were　introduced,　mainly　involving　free　radical　pathways,　singlet　oxygen　pathways　and　surface　electron　transfer,　and　those　of　the　heteroatom-doped　carbonaceous　materials　were　further　discussed.　Then,　the　types　and　fabrication　methods　of　heteroatomic　carbonaceous　materials　as　well　as　their　applications　in　degradation　of　organic　pollutants　were　reviewed.　Finally,　it　was　proposed　that　the　promotion　of　stability　and　reusability　and　the　in-depth　study　of　the　mechanisms　were　the　future　research　directions　of　heteroatom-doped　carbonaceous　materials.　©　2021,　Chemical　Industry　Press　Co.,　Ltd.　All　right　reserved.