Abstract:As the largest organic carbon reservoir in terrestrial ecosystems, soils store approximately 1 500−2 400 Pg C of organic carbon, which is 2−3 times larger than the atmospheric carbon pool. Their carbon sequestration potential and functionality are crucial for regulating the global carbon cycle. Against the backdrop of global warming, soil carbon sequestration represents one of the key pathways for achieving long-term carbon neutrality. Therefore, understanding the fate and stability of soil organic carbon (SOC) has become critically important. In recent years, the mineral-associated carbon sequestration mechanisms in soils have garnered widespread attention due to its pivotal role in long-term carbon storage. Soil minerals constitute a vital component of the soil solid phase and can interact closely with SOC. Consequently, they engage in complex, multi-pathway reactions with SOC during its cycling processes, either protecting or activating it, thereby influencing the stability of SOC. However, the diversity of soil mineral types and the inherent complexity of SOC composition result in highly intricate and incompletely understood interaction processes between the two. This paper summarizes previous research on soil carbon sequestration mechanisms. First, it briefly outlines the instability of soil carbon sequestration under climate warming or land-use change scenarios, highlighting that mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) forms a stable carbon pool through physicochemical interactions and constitutes a core pathway for soil carbon retention. Subsequently, the paper focuses on analyzing the differences in carbon sequestration mechanisms arising from the unique surface physicochemical properties (e.g., specific surface area, charge characteristics, surface functional groups, chemical reactivity) of various soil minerals, such as layered phyllosilicate clay minerals, iron/aluminum oxides, and carbonate minerals. It systematically reviews multiple carbon stabilization mechanisms driven by mineral-organic carbon interfacial reactions, including ligand exchange, electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, occlusion/entrapment, and interlayer intercalation. The influence of organic carbon structural characteristics on mineral-mediated carbon stability is also briefly introduced. Furthermore, based on the properties of clay minerals and metal oxides, the paper elaborates on the synergistic pathways by which interactions at mineral interfaces enhance carbon sequestration. The collective action of these diverse interfacial reaction mechanisms within the mineral-organic carbon system drives SOC stabilization. The paper also summarizes the main challenges and key unresolved questions in current research on the long-term carbon sequestration mechanisms mediated by soil minerals. Finally, to address the limitations and gaps in current studies on mineral-mediated carbon sequestration, this paper proposes that future research should strengthen multi-scale, multi-process coupled observational and modeling approaches. Emphasis should also be placed on exploring the application potential within practical ecosystem management frameworks to support the achievement of China′s "carbon neutrality" goals. Close-