Electrochemical food safety sensing via engineered MXene composites: from interfacial dynamics to intelligent devices.

Abstract

Two-dimensional MXenes have emerged as highly competitive scaffolds for electrochemical food safety sensing, however, their inherent tendency to restack and poor interfacial compatibility with delicate biomolecules frequently limit their analytical reliability in real-world sample matrices. To address these bottlenecks, this review critically evaluates recent advances in MXene-based electrochemical sensors, focusing on how multidimensional interface engineering, via the integration of carbon nanoscaffolds, inorganic catalytic nanomaterials, and functional polymers, fundamentally resolves these structural limitations. Rather than merely cataloging recent studies, we dissect the physicochemical mechanisms by which these hierarchical architectures accelerate interfacial electron transfer and establish thermodynamically stable, antifouling microenvironments. Building on these principles, we examine the practical performance of engineered MXene platforms in authentic, interference-heavy food matrices for the precise detection of veterinary drugs, pesticide residues, heavy metal ions, and phenolic compounds. By comparing distinct recognition strategies, we highlight how these tailored interfaces mitigate severe biofouling to drive detection limits down to picomolar or femtomolar levels while ensuring accurate structural isomer discrimination. Finally, we discuss the remaining hurdles for commercialization, emphasizing the urgent need for fluoride-free green synthesis, systematic biosafety and regulatory compliance, and the convergence of flexible MXene electronics with machine learning to realize "sample-in-answer-out" intelligent sensing networks.

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