Inkjet and Aerosol Jet Printing of Electrochemical Devices for Energy Conversion and Storage

Abstract

Inkjet and aerosol jet printing have recently emerged as promising fabrication techniques for a broad range of devices for electrochemical energy conversion and storagebatteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors. If fully realized, these printing techniques may enable device performance advantages accruing from precise micron scale patterning, thin layer deposition, and materials grading. Printing may also allow scalable, low materials waste manufacturing, and conformal integration of power elements into structural elements. This article reviews the fundamental capabilities of inkjet and aerosol jet printing relevant to electrochemical devices, surveys current literature, and presents future challenges which must be tackled to achieve high performance, printed electrochemical energy storage, and conversion devices.

Unexpected Performance of Inkjet‐Printed Membrane Electrode Assemblies for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

“…[3] At the same time, advanced fabrication methods, capable of realizing MEA configurations which maximize catalyst utilization, will be indispensable. [6] Thus, inkjet printing presents a pathway toward low catalyst loading MEAs without expensive equipment and controlled environmental conditions of sputtering and without materials loss and the masking of spray coating. Highly reproducible micron-scale patterns of low catalyst loadings are not viable with traditional roll-to-roll coating techniques.…”

Wearable Chemosensors: A Review of Recent Progress

“…Droplet‐based printing, typically inkjet and aerosol jet printing, have developed rapidly in recent years. As a promising fabrication technique for the design of electrochemical devices, the droplet‐based printing method may enable precise thin‐layer deposition and system integration of a microcircuit …”

“…Similar to inkjet printing, aerosol jet printing is a material‐deposition technique for the precise, controlled deposition of drops in well‐defined locations . The main process of the droplet‐based printing of functional materials includes four parts: ink formulation, drop deposition, wet film layer formation, and consolidation . Inkjet and aerosol jet printing have different working mechanisms for printing.…”

“…As ap romising fabrication techniquef or the design of electrochemical devices, the droplet-based printing methodm ay enable preciset hin-layer deposition and system integrationo famicrocircuit. [41] Inkjet printing is based on at wo-dimensional printer that uses aj et to deposit tiny drops of ink onto as ubstrate. Originally appearing in the 1970s, the ink consists of ad ye of pigments and has mainly been used to produce digital images generated by computers.…”

“…[42] The main process of the droplet-based printingo ff unctionalm aterials includes four parts:i nk formulation, dropd eposition, wet film layer formation, and consolidation. [41] Inkjet and aerosolj et printingh ave differentw orking mechanisms for printing. For inkjet printing, the ink is stored in ac artridge and is pushed out from the nozzles drop by drop, and then the drops are co-depositedt o form functional layers.…”