Abstract
3D printing technology provides a unique platform for rapid prototyping of numerous applications due to its ability to produce low cost 3D printed platforms. Herein, a graphene-based polylactic acid filament (graphene/PLA) has been 3D printed to fabricate a range of 3D disc electrode (3DE) configurations using a conventional RepRap fused deposition moulding (FDM) 3D printer, which requires no further modification/ex-situ curing step. To provide proof-of-concept, these 3D printed electrode architectures are characterised both electrochemically and physicochemically and are advantageously applied as freestanding anodes within Li-ion batteries and as solid-state supercapacitors. These freestanding anodes neglect the requirement for a current collector, thus offering a simplistic and cheaper alternative to traditional Li-ion based setups. Additionally, the ability of these devices’ to electrochemically produce hydrogen via the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) as an alternative to currently utilised platinum based electrodes (with in electrolysers) is also performed. The 3DE demonstrates an unexpectedly high catalytic activity towards the HER (−0.46 V vs. SCE) upon the 1000th cycle, such potential is the closest observed to the desired value of platinum at (−0.25 V vs. SCE). We subsequently suggest that 3D printing of graphene-based conductive filaments allows for the simple fabrication of energy storage devices with bespoke and conceptual designs to be realised.
Highlights
There has been a natural progression towards the design and fabrication of complex structures via the utilisation of 3D printing. 3D printing has the ability to provide a beneficial platform for the creation of low cost 3D components for an array of applications[7]
Proof-of-concept has been demonstrated utilising a printable 3D graphene-based polylactic acid (PLA) filament that has been 3D printed into useful electrochemical geometries
These systems are characterised both physicochemically and electrochemically, are applied as freestanding lithium-ion anodes and solid-state graphene supercapacitors. This 3D electrode (3DE) platform has been analysed towards its ability to create hydrogen via the hydrogen evolution reaction, in which these 3DEs exceed expectations and exhibit an extremely competitive onset potential compared to that of a platinum electrode
Summary
There has been a natural progression towards the design and fabrication of complex structures via the utilisation of 3D printing. 3D printing has the ability to provide a beneficial platform for the creation of low cost 3D components for an array of applications[7]. The 3D printing of a fully graphitic-based ‘ink’ has been recently considered by Zhu et al.[12] whom comprise a 3D printable aerogel via a direct-ink writing protocol containing graphene oxide and graphene nanoplatelets for application as a supercapacitor This 3D printed aerogel is reported to exhibit a capacitance of 4.79 F g−1 at a current density of 0.4 A g−1 within an aqueous solution of 3 M KOH, deduced utilising the weight of the full device. Symes et al.[16] have created the first fully 3D printed electrochemical cell using a low cost 3D printer, in which carbon black working and counter macroelectrodes have been 3D printed for electrosynthetic applications Is this fabrication methodology being used for laboratory reaction vessels, Rymansaib et al.[17] have utilised a 3D printed electrode as a potential electrochemical sensor for the detection of lead (II) within an acidic aqueous solution. In order to benchmark this new electrochemical platform, the physicochemical properties of the graphene/PLA and the printed 3DE are first considered via an array of characterisation techniques
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