Carbon-based Materials in Anaerobic Digestion for Methane Production: Unraveling the Multi-faceted Mechanisms and Shaping Future Perspectives

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion (AD) technology, as an important approach for the resource utilization of organic waste and the production of clean energy, still faces key challenges such as prolonged acclimatization period, easy acidification and low methane production efficiency in practical applications. This paper systematically reviews the mechanisms of action and application prospects of carbon-based materials (such as biochar, activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, graphene, etc.) as multifunctional additives in improving AD performance. The core argument is that carbon-based materials significantly enhance system stability and methane yield through multiple synergistic pathways such as physical adsorption, chemical buffering, and bioelectron transfer (especially direct interspecies electron transfer, DIET). This paper constructs a cross-scale mechanistic analysis framework from material structural characteristics to microbial ecological functions, critically reviews the limitations of current research, and prospectively proposes future development directions such as rational material design, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning models for process optimization, and life cycle assessment, aiming to provide theoretical support and technical pathways for promoting the translation of carbon-based materials from laboratory research to industrial application.