3D-Printed Bio-inspired Multi-channel Cathodes for Zinc–air Battery Applications

Men, Xin; Li, Zhiyuan; Yang, Wei; Wang, Mi; Liang, Song; Sun, Hang; Liu, Zhenning; Lu, Guolong

doi:10.1007/s42235-022-00173-5

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Of note, this work = investigated cell hydrodynamics at a current density of 0-120 mA cm -2 but did not assess cycling, polarization, and Coulombic efficiency. Men et al, 2022 developed 3D-printed multi-channel electrodes inspired by xylem structures of wood, aiming to improve the active surface area and enhance mass transfer in cathodes of zinc-air batteries due to enhanced oxygen reduction reaction efficiency and power output. The multi-channel structures promoted a continuous supply of oxygen from the air and formed a massive tri-phase boundary in the cathode.…”

Section: D Printing For Burgeoning Redox Flow Batteriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manufacturing flow batteries using advanced 3D printing technology—A review

2023

Front. Chem. Eng.

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In the past decade, electrochemical energy storage systems such as rechargeable batteries have been explored as potential candidates for the large-scale storage of intermittent power sources. Among these, redox flow batteries stand out due to their low fabrication costs, high scalability, and long cycle life. Several redox flow battery pilot plants with MWh capacity have been constructed worldwide, although their commercial profitability is currently under investigation. 3D printing as a burgeoning technology offers unlimited opportunities in the process of optimizing the design, performance, and fabrication cost of redox flow batteries as compared to traditional top-down manufacturing techniques. This review discusses the principles of various redox flow batteries and 3D printing techniques, followed by explaining the advantages, disadvantages, and major factors to consider when using 3D printing in the construction of efficient redox flow batteries. The practical applications of 3D printing for redox flow batteries with different redox chemistries in the past decade are critically summarized, including classical all-vanadium, Zn/Br, and novel competitors. Lastly, a summary is provided along with outlooks that may provide valuable guidance for scientists interested in this research frontier.

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Section: D Printing For Burgeoning Redox Flow Batteriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manufacturing flow batteries using advanced 3D printing technology—A review

2023

Front. Chem. Eng.

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“…On the other hand, the three-dimensional (3D) direct printing technique has recently been developed for fabricating various kinds of microdevices, − which provides the comprehensive advances of direct pattern writing, fast device prototyping, and a simplified fabrication process. − By taking advantage of both the digital programming and automated manufacturing, the 3D direct printing technique is capable of obtaining rationally designed device structures with accurately controlled spatial geometries from the microscale even down to the nanoscale. − However, up to now little work has been done to fabricate the zinc-air microbatteries by using the 3D direct printing technique, which is mainly ascribed to the challenges in both the preparation of the active electrode inks with complicated composition of the nano/micromaterial catalysts and conducting/binding agents in solvent and the formation of the solid electrode/liquid electrolyte/gas air three-phase interfacing structure in the porous air electrode. − Zhang et al successfully fabricated the air and zinc electrode sheets by using the 3D direct printing technique and assembled the solid-state zinc-air battery by sandwiching a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based gel electrolyte in middle . In the work, the conventional sandwich-type device configuration was adopted, which cannot be used for making microenergy devices.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

All-Printed 3D Solid-State Rechargeable Zinc-Air Microbatteries

Liu

et al. 2023

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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Lightweight, compact, integrated, and miniaturized energy devices are under high pursuit for portable and wearable electronics. However, improving the energy density per area still remains a long-standing challenge. Herein, we report the design and fabrication of a solid-state zinc-air microbattery (ZAmB) by a facile 3D direct printing technique. The interdigital electrodes, gel electrolyte, and encapsulation frame are all printed with a customized design by optimzing the composition of the printing inks to obtain the best battery performance. Multiple layers of interdigital electrodes are sequentially printed with a fine overlap to achieve an ultrahigh thickness of 2.5 mm for a remarkably increased specific areal energy of up to 77.2 mWh cm–2. To meet the practical powering requirements for different output voltages and currents, battery modules consisting of individual ZAmBs connected in series or parallel or a combination of the two are printed with a facile integration to external loads. Powering of LEDs, digital watch, and a miniature rotary motor and even charging of a smartphone by the printed ZAmB modules are successfully demonstrated. The versatile 3D direct printing technique enables the fabricated ZAmBs with an adjustable form factor and integration capability with other electronics, paving the way for exploring new energy systems with diverse structures and extended functionalities.

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