Abstract: Graphene is an emerging carbon nanomaterial in the 21st century, has excellent properties and shows great application potential in many fields. Coal is the most abundant and the cheapest carbon source with unique structure and material composition. The application of coal in the development and the application of new carbonaceous materials such as graphene and their composites is a work worthy of further exploration. The development of coal-based graphene can both promote the clean utilization of coal and enhance the added value of coal resources. In this paper, the research developments in coal structure, the mechanism of coal graphitization, as well as the development of the research and preparation of coal-based graphene at home and abroad were reviewed in detail. In addition, according to the current research situation of coal-based graphene, the existing problems and future prospect of the research on coal-based graphene were put forward. At present, the research on the preparation of coal-based graphene and its derivatives is still in its infancy. The focus of the research is on the optimization of product preparation and performance. There are few studies on the influence of coal petrography characters on product quality. The difference of structure and composition of raw coal will ultimately affect the structure and performance of coal-based graphene, while the structural evolution of coal is significantly affected by geological factors. Therefore, in the future，the research on the influence of coal original structure and material composition on the product of coal-based graphene should be strengthened, so as to provide theoretical support for promoting the study on coal-based graphene and improving the clean and efficient utilization of coal resources.