UCLA 3D-Printed Battery Electrode Stores 7x More Energy

UCLA researchers have found a way to make zinc-ion hybrid batteries store dramatically more energy: 3D print the electrode.

The team, led by Maher El-Kady and Ric Kaner, designed a honeycomb-like carbon scaffold with microscopic cavities. They printed it with a UV laser curing liquid resin, then heated and chemically treated the structure to leave only conductive carbon loaded with vanadium oxide.

The result is an electrode with an enormous internal surface area. Spread a single gram flat and it would cover roughly ten tennis courts. That extra surface lets the device hold more than seven times the charge of similar zinc-ion hybrids.

Zinc-ion batteries matter because zinc is far more abundant and easier to recycle than lithium. Grid-scale storage needs cheap, long-lasting options, and this hybrid approach pairs a supercapacitor-style carbon electrode with a battery-style terminal to get both quick discharge and higher capacity.

The device retained 82 percent of its capacity after 1,500 charge cycles. That is not yet consumer-ready, but it is a significant step toward grid storage that does not depend on rare minerals.

The study, published in Small, includes a second practical contribution: a 3D-printed test cell with a sealed top that prevents electrolyte evaporation. Standard open-beaker setups lose liquid and give inconsistent readings. The UCLA design lets researchers run more reliable tests, and because the cell is 3D printed, any lab can reproduce it cheaply.

First author Sophia Uemura noted that 3D printing has become accessible enough that small research teams can now make their own test equipment rather than relying on expensive prefabricated glass cells.