6. 3D Printed Supercapacitors

Supercapacitors are devices that store energy for a large variety of applications. There has been recent interest in sustainable technologies to fabricate energy storage devices. Additive manufacturing methods such as three-dimensional (3D) printing are being developed to manufacture such devices. There have been numerous ongoing developments in the 3D printing of supercapacitors. 3D printing of supercapacitors offers advantages over conventional fabrication methods. In a consistently changing technological landscape, it is critical to take stock of the developments till date and understand how 3D printing could evolve in the future in the supercapacitor technology. This chapter presents an overview of the main 3D printing technologies to make supercapacitors. The chapter describes the methods, their salient features, merits, and limitations, from the perspective of their application in developing supercapacitors. The chapter also delves into the materials used to 3D print supercapacitors, primarily those related to electrodes and electrolytes. Finally, the chapter presents an outlook into the future prospects of 3D printing-based development of supercapacitors.