This paper provides a concise review of recent advances in activated carbon (AC) and its corresponding modified material. Topics covered in this work include the synthesis and characterization of AC as the feedstock materials, as well as the properties and applications of the subsequent hybrid material for different industries. Numerous research studies have since reported remarkable physical, chemical, thermal, conductivity, porosity, and mechanical (stiffness and strength) properties of AC in different types of multiple material matrices, including polymers, metals, and ceramics. The incorporation of AC particles into material matrices may result in the formation of an entire new class of advanced materials, due to the resulting strong interfacial bonds of the hybrid components. Although this requirement is no different from those that offer conventional hybrid materials, the scale of the reinforcement and filled phase of the AC has changed from micrometers to nanometers. This create opportunities to increase the potential applications of AC hybrid materials of the development of fundamentally unique new materials for in chemical conversion, environmental, and fuel storage applications.