Inkjet Printing for Batteries and Supercapacitors: State-of-the-Art Developments and Outlook

Juan C. Rubio and Martin Bolduc ()
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Juan C. Rubio: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7, Canada
Martin Bolduc: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7, Canada

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 20, 1-50

Abstract: Inkjet printing enables contactless deposition onto fragile substrates for printed energy-storage devices and supports flexible batteries and supercapacitors with reduced material use. This review examines multilayer and interdigital architectures and analyzes how ink rheology, droplet formation, colloidal interactions, and the printability window govern performance. For batteries, reported inkjet-printed electrodes commonly deliver capacities of ~110–150 mAh g −1 for oxide cathodes at C/2–1 C, with coulombic efficiency ≥98% and stability over 10 2 –10 3 cycles; silicon anodes reach ~1.0–2.0 Ah g −1 with efficiency approaching 99% under stepwise formation. Typical current densities are ~0.5–5 mA cm −2 depending on areal loading, and multilayer designs with optimized drying and parameter tuning can yield rate and discharge behavior comparable to cast films. For supercapacitors, inkjet-printed microdevices report volumetric capacitances in the mid-hundreds of F cm −3 , translating to ~9–34 mWh cm −3 and ~0.25–0.41 W cm −3 , with 80–95% retention after 10,000 cycles and coulombic efficiency near 99%. In solid-state configurations, stability is enhanced, although often accompanied by reduced areal capacitance. Although solids loading is lower than in screen printing, precise material placement together with thermal or photonic sintering enables competitive capacity, rate capability, and cycle life while minimizing waste. The review consolidates practical guidance on ink formulation, printability, and defect control and outlines opportunities in greener chemistries, oxidation-resistant metallic systems, and scalable high-throughput printing.

Keywords: inkjet printing; printed energy storage devices; multilayer electrodes; interdigitated electrodes; ink rheology; droplet formation; printability window (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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