Inherent Impurities in Graphene/Polylactic Acid Filament Strongly Influence on the Capacitive Performance of 3D-Printed Electrode

Current significance and future perspective of 3D-printed bio-based polymers for applications in energy conversion and storage system

The increasing global population has led to a surge in energy demand and the production of environmentally harmful products, highlighting the urgent need for renewable and clean energy sources. In this context, sustainable and eco-friendly energy production strategies have been explored to mitigate the adverse effects of fossil fuel consumption to the environment. Additionally, efficient energy storage devices with a long lifespan are also crucial. Tailoring the components of energy conversion and storage devices can improve overall performance. Three-dimensional (3D) printing provides the flexibility to create and optimize geometrical structure in order to obtain preferable features to elevate energy conversion yield and storage capacitance. It also serves the potential for rapid and cost-efficient manufacturing. Besides that, bio-based polymers with potential mechanical and rheological properties have been exploited as material feedstocks for 3D printing. The use of these polymers promoted carbon neutrality and environmentally benign processes. In this perspective, this review provides an overview of various 3D printing techniques and processing parameters for bio-based polymers applicable for energy-relevant applications. It also explores the advances and current significance on the integration of 3D-printed bio-based polymers in several energy conversion and storage components from the recently published studies. Finally, the future perspective is elaborated for the development of bio-based polymers via 3D printing techniques as powerful tools for clean energy supplies towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs) with respect to environmental protection and green energy conversion.

3D printing for customized carbon electrodes

Traditional carbon electrodes are made of glassy carbon or carbon fibers and have limited shapes. 3D printing offers many advantages for manufacturing carbon electrodes, such as complete customization of the shape and the ability to fabricate devices and electrodes simultaneously. Additive manufacturing is the most common 3D printing method, where carbon materials are added to the material to make it conductive, and treatments applied to enhance electrochemical activity. A newer form of 3D printing is 2-photon lithography, where electrodes are printed in photoresist via laser lithography and then annealed to carbon by pyrolysis. Applications of 3D printed carbon electrodes include nanoelectrode measurements of neurotransmitters, arrays of biosensors, and integrated electrodes in microfluidic devices.

Defect engineering of two-dimensional materials for advanced energy conversion and storage

In the global trend towards carbon neutrality, sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies are of vital significance to tackle the energy crisis and climate change. However, traditional electrode materials gradually reach their property limits. Two-dimensional (2D) materials featuring large aspect ratios and tunable surface properties exhibit tremendous potential for improving the performance of energy conversion and storage devices. To rationally control the physical and chemical properties for specific applications, defect engineering of 2D materials has been investigated extensively, and is becoming a versatile strategy to promote the electrode reaction kinetics. Simultaneously, exploring the in-depth mechanisms underlying defect action in electrode reactions is crucial to provide profound insight into structure tailoring and property optimization. In this review, we highlight the cutting-edge advances in defect engineering in 2D materials as well as their considerable effects in energy-related applications. Moreover, the confronting challenges and promising directions are discussed for the development of advanced energy conversion and storage systems.

Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Performance of Ni-Co-Coated Graphene-Based 3D Printed Electrodes

Additive manufacturing has been a very promising topic in recent years for research and development studies and industrial applications. Its electrochemical applications are very popular due to the cost-effective rapid production from the environmentally friendly method. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) printed electrodes are prepared by Ni and Co coatings in different molar ratios. Different Ni/Co molar ratios (x:y) of the Ni/Co/x:y alloys are prepared as 1:1, 1:4, and 4:1 and they are named Ni/Co/1:1, Ni/Co/4:1, and Ni/Co/1:4, respectively. According to the results, when the 3D electrode samples are coated with Ni and Co at different molar ratios, the kinetic performance of the NiCo-coated 3D electrode samples for hydrogen evolution reaction is enhanced compared to that of the uncoated 3D electrode sample. The results indicate that the Ni/Co/1:4-coated 3D electrode has the highest kinetic activity for hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs). The calculated Tafel's slope and overpotential value (η₁₀) for HER are determined as 164.65 mV/dec and 101.92 mV, respectively. Moreover, the Ni/Co/1:4-coated 3D electrode has an 81.2% higher current density than the other electrode. It is observed that the 3D printing of the electrochemical electrodes is very promising when they are coated with Ni-Co metals in different ratios. This study provides a new perspective on the use of 3D printed electrodes for high-performance water electrolysis.

Polyoxometalate-Enhanced 3D-Printed Supercapacitors

The contemporary critical energy crisis demands the fast and cost-effective preparation of supercapacitors to replace old-fashioned batteries. 3D-printing has been established as a fast, cheap, and reliable new manufacturing technique that enables the preparation of such devices.. Unfortunately, carbon-based filaments used in 3D printing lack the necessary electrical properties to build supercapacitors by themselves and have to be combined with other materials to reach their full potential. In this study, carbon-based 3D-printed carbon electrodes (3D-PCE) have been combined with two polyoxometalates (that share the same redox cluster) by drop casting of the inorganic cluster mixed with a conducting slurry. The modified electrodes show higher capacitances than reference carbon electrodes showing the exceptional properties of the polyoxometalates. Moreover, the different nature of the polyoxometalate counter ions allows for their distinct deposition, giving rise to a different coverage of the surface of the 3D-PCE. The different coverage and the nature of the interaction of the counter ion with the electrolyte significantly modify the capacitance and resistance of the materials, playing a key role that should not be overlooked during their preparation.

Adjusting the Connection Length of Additively Manufactured Electrodes Changes the Electrochemical and Electroanalytical Performance

Changing the connection length of an additively manufactured electrode (AME) has a significant impact on the electrochemical and electroanalytical response of the system. In the literature, many electrochemical platforms have been produced using additive manufacturing with great variations in how the AME itself is described. It is seen that when measuring the near-ideal outer-sphere redox probe hexaamineruthenium (III) chloride (RuHex), decreasing the AME connection length enhances the heterogeneous electrochemical transfer (HET) rate constant (k0) for the system. At slow scan rates, there is a clear change in the peak-to-peak separation (ΔEp) observed in the RuHex voltammograms, with the ΔEp shifting from 118 ± 5 mV to 291 ± 27 mV for the 10 and 100 mm electrodes, respectively. For the electroanalytical determination of dopamine, no significant difference is noticed at low concentrations between 10- and 100-mm connection length AMEs. However, at concentrations of 1 mM dopamine, the peak oxidation is shifted to significantly higher potentials as the AME connection length is increased, with a shift of 150 mV measured. It is recommended that in future work, all AME dimensions, not just the working electrode head size, is reported along with the resistance measured through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to allow for appropriate comparisons with other reports in the literature. To produce the best additively manufactured electrochemical systems in the future, researchers should endeavor to use the shortest AME connection lengths that are viable for their designs.

3D-Printed COVID-19 immunosensors with electronic readout

3D printing technology has brought light in the fight against the COVID-19 global pandemic event through the decentralized and on-demand manufacture of different personal protective equipment and medical devices. Nonetheless, since this technology is still in an early stage, the use of 3D-printed electronic devices for antigen test developments is almost an unexplored field. Herein, a robust and general bottom-up biofunctionalization approach via surface engineering is reported aiming at providing the bases for the fabrication of the first 3D-printed COVID-19 immunosensor prototype with electronic readout. The 3D-printed COVID-19 immunosensor was constructed by covalently anchoring the COVID-19 recombinant protein on a 3D-printed graphene-based nanocomposite electrode surface. The electrical readout relies on impedimetrically monitoring changes at the electrode/electrolyte interface after interacting with the monoclonal COVID-19 antibody via competitive assay, fact that hinders the redox conversion of a benchmark redox marker. Overall, the developed 3D-printed system exhibits promising electroanalytical capabilities in both buffered and human serum samples, displaying an excellent linear response with a detection limit at trace levels (0.5 ± 0.1 μg·mL^-1). Such achievements demonstrate advantage of light-of-speed distribution of 3D printing datafiles with localized point-of-care low-cost printing and bioelectronic devices to help contain the spread of emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19. This technology is applicable to any post-COVID-19 SARS diseases.

Versatile Design of Functional Organic-Inorganic 3D-Printed (Opto)Electronic Interfaces with Custom Catalytic Activity

The ability to combine organic and inorganic components in a single material represents a great step toward the development of advanced (opto)electronic systems. Nowadays, 3D-printing technology has generated a revolution in the rapid prototyping and low-cost fabrication of 3D-printed electronic devices. However, a main drawback when using 3D-printed transducers is the lack of robust functionalization methods for tuning their capabilities. Herein, a simple, general and robust in situ functionalization approach is reported to tailor the capabilities of 3D-printed nanocomposite carbon/polymer electrode (3D-nCE) surfaces with a battery of functional inorganic nanoparticles (FINPs), which are appealing active units for electronic, optical and catalytic applications. The versatility of the resulting functional organic-inorganic 3D-printed electronic interfaces is provided in different pivotal areas of electrochemistry, including i) electrocatalysis, ii) bio-electroanalysis, iii) energy (storage and conversion), and iv) photoelectrochemical applications. Overall, the synergism of combining the transducing characteristics of 3D-nCEs with the implanted tuning surface capabilities of FINPs leads to new/enhanced electrochemical performances when compared to their bare 3D-nCE counterparts. Accordingly, this work elucidates that FINPs have much to offer in the field of 3D-printing technology and provides the bases toward the green fabrication of functional organic-inorganic 3D-printed (opto)electronic interfaces with custom catalytic activity.

MXene and MoS3- x Coated 3D-Printed Hybrid Electrode for Solid-State Asymmetric Supercapacitor

Recently, 2D nanomaterials such as transition metal carbides or nitrides (MXenes) and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted ample attention in the field of energy storage devices specifically in supercapacitors (SCs) because of their high metallic conductivity, wide interlayer spacing, large surface area, and 2D layered structures. However, the low potential window (ΔV ≈ 0.6 V) of MXene e.g., Ti₃ C₂ T_x limits the energy density of the SCs. Herein, asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) are fabricated by assembling the exfoliated Ti₃ C₂ T_x (Ex-Ti₃ C₂ T_x ) as the negative electrode and transition metal chalcogenide (MoS_{3- x} ) coated 3D-printed nanocarbon framework (MoS_{3- x} @3DnCF) as the positive electrode utilizing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/H₂ SO₄ gel electrolyte, which provides a wide ΔV of 1.6 V. The Ex-Ti₃ C₂ T_x possesses wrinkled sheets which prevent the restacking of Ti₃ C₂ T_x 2D layers. The MoS_{3- x} @3DnCF holds a porous structure and offers diffusion-controlled intercalated pseudocapacitance that enhances the overall capacitance. The 3D printing allows a facile fabrication of customized shaped MoS_{3- x} @3DnCF electrodes. Employing the advantages of the 3D-printing facilities, two different ASCs, such as sandwich- and interdigitated-configurations are fabricated. The customized ASCs provide excellent capacitive performance. Such ASCs combining the MXene and electroactive 3D-printed nanocarbon framework can be used as potential energy storage devices in modern electronics.

Free-standing electrochemically coated MoSx based 3D-printed nanocarbon electrode for solid-state supercapacitor application

The 3D-printing technology offers an innovative approach to develop energy storage devices because of its ability to create facile and low cost customized electrodes for modern electronics. Among the recently explored 2D nanomaterials beyond graphene, molybdenum sulfide (MoS_x) has been found as a promising material for electrochemical energy storage devices. In this study, a nanocarbon-based conductive filament was 3D-printed and then activated by solvent treatment, followed by electrodeposition of MoS_x on the printed nanocarbon electrode's surface. The conductive nanocarbon fibers allow a coaxial deposition of a thin MoS_x layer. The MoS_x layer contributes to pseudocapacitive charge storage mechanisms to obtain higher capacitances. In a three-electrode test system with 1 M H₂SO₄ as electrolyte, the MoS_x coated 3D-printed electrode (MoS_x@3D-PE) electrode shows a capacitance of 27 mF cm^-2 at the scan rate of 10 mV s^-1, and a capacitance of 11.6 mF cm^-2 at the current density of 0.13 mA cm^-2. Extending to solid-state supercapacitor (SS-SC), the cells were fabricated using the MoS_x@3D-PE with different designs and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/H₂SO₄ as gel electrolyte. An interdigital-shaped SS-SC provided a specific capacitance of 4.15 mF cm^-2 at a current density of 0.05 mA cm^-2. Moreover, it showed a stable cycle life where 10% capacitance loss was found after 10 000 cycles. Briefly, this study reports the integration of 3D-printing and room-temperature electrodeposition techniques allowing a simple way of fabricating customized free-standing 3D-electrodes for use in SC applications.

Atomic Layer Deposition of Electrocatalytic Insulator Al2O3 on Three-Dimensional Printed Nanocarbons

The advantages of three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies, such as rapid-prototyping and the freedom to customize electrodes in any design, have elevated the benchmark of conventional electrochemical studies. Furthermore, the 3D printed electrodes conveniently accommodate other active layers for diverse applications such as energy storage, catalysis, and sensors. Nevertheless, to enhance a complex 3D structure while preserving the fine morphology, conformal deposition by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique is a powerful solution. Herein, we present the concept of coating Al₂O₃ by ALD with different thicknesses from 20 to 120 cycles on the 3D printed nanocarbon/PLA electrodes for the electrocatalytic oxidation of catechol as an important biomarker. Overall, 80 ALD cycle Al₂O₃ achieved an optimum thickness for catechol electrocatalysis. This is resonated with the enhanced adsorption of catechol at the electrode surface and efficient electron transfer, according to the two-proton, two-electron-transfer mechanism, as well as for the passivation of surface defects of the nanocarbon electrode. This work compellingly demonstrates the prospect of 3D printed electrodes modified by a functional layer utilizing a low-temperature ALD process that can be extended to other arbitrary surfaces.