Recently, Associate Professor Song Jun, together with Professor Wu Xuehong’s team from the College of Energy and Power Engineering and researcher Sailin Liu from the University of Adelaide, Australia, published a high-level review paper in the internationally renowned journal Energy Storage Materials (Impact Factor: 20.2), under the title From Issues to Solutions: 3D Printing for Overcoming Challenges in Liquid- and Solid-State Batteries. Associate Professor Song Jun is the first author, with Zhengzhou University of Light Industry listed as the first author affiliation.

As an advanced additive manufacturing technology, 3D printing has demonstrated significant potential in battery fabrication. Its high design flexibility, low cost, and minimal material waste have enabled successful applications in producing various battery components, including cathode and anode materials, solid-state electrolytes, and battery housings. Studies indicate that periodic three-dimensional channels and frameworks can effectively enhance ion and electron transport within electrodes, thereby improving areal capacity and overall electrochemical performance. Nevertheless, significant challenges remain in addressing key scientific issues across different battery systems and in fully 3D-printed batteries. This paper highlights how 3D printing provides solutions for powder electrodes, metal electrodes, and solid-state electrolytes; examines the unique capabilities of various 3D printing technologies in battery manufacturing, post-processing, cell configuration, and packaging; and analyzes the characteristics and challenges associated with 3D printing in battery material fabrication. The study aims to offer insights to advance the development of 3D-printed batteries and to lay a foundation for 3D printing as a critical technology in future manufacturing.

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Henan Provincial Science and Technology Tackling Program, the Central Plains Science and Technology Innovation Leading Talents Program, and the Australian Research Council.

Journal article link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ensm.2025.104342