Abstract: To efficiently activate persulfate (PS) for the removal of organic contaminants from water, we developed a novel integrated catalyst by loading cerium oxide onto plasma-treated nickel foam (CeO₂@NF-P). The plasma treatment generated a rougher and defect-rich surface on the NF (NF-P), which enhanced the dispersion and loading of CeO₂. This modification further promoted the formation of a dynamic Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ redox cycle and abundant oxygen vacancies, serving as active sites for PS activation. The CeO₂@NF-P/PS system achieved complete degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) within 15 min, exhibiting a pseudo-first-order rate constant 3.75 times higher than that of the CeO₂@NF/PS system. Quenching experiments and full-wavelength scanning elucidated the contributions of reactive species and the breakdown of the RhB chromophore. The CeO₂@NF-P catalyst demonstrated excellent reusability, maintaining a RhB removal efficiency of 85.52% after five cycles. This work overcomes the separation and recovery limitations of conventional powder catalysts, offering a promising strategy for advanced wastewater treatment.