Facial Synthesis, Stability, and Interaction of Ti₃C₂T@PC Composites for High-Performance Biocathode Microbial...

Developing high-performance biocathodes remain one of the most challenging aspects of the microbial electrosynthesis (MES) system and the primary factor limiting its output. Herein, a hollow porous carbon (PC) fabricated with MXenes coated over an electrode was developed for MES systems to facilitate the direct delivery of CO₂ to microorganisms colonized. The result highlighted that MXene@PC (Ti₃C₂T@PC) has a surface area of 434 m²/g. The Ti₃C₂T@PC MES cycle shows that in cycle 4 and cycle 5, the values are -309.2 and -352.3. Cyclic voltammetry showed that the coated electrode current response (mA) increased from -4.5 to -20.2. The substantial redox peaks of Ti₃C₂T@PC biofilms are displayed at -741, -516, and -427 mV vs Ag/AgCl, suggesting an enhanced electron transfer owing to the Ti₃C₂T@PC complex coating. Additionally, more active sites enhanced mass transfer and microbial development, resulting in a 46% rise in butyrate compared to the uncoated control. These findings demonstrate the value of PC modification as a method for MES-based product selection.