Microscale electrochemical energy storage systems with high system performance, excellent cell density, adjustable capacitance and output voltage are promising for miniature electronics.

A joint research group led by Professor Wu Zhongshuai of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Professor Lu Yao, in collaboration with the group of Professor Chen Huimin from Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology and CAS Institute of Metals Research of Metals Research has developed integrally integrated micro supercapacitors with ultra-high system volumetric productivity and planar output voltage.

Embedded inter-strip micro supercapacitors (MSCs) without separators and external metal jumpers and still with robust electrochemical performance and tunable coupling, enhance cell density and system performance for monolithic integrated MSCs (MIMSCs) with limited mode tunability desired. can increase. Space.

However, large-scale production of fully functional compact MIMSCs with high system performance, excellent cell count density and tunable performance is still a challenge. This is due to the difficulties of precisely deploying electrolytes into densely packed MSCs for electrochemical isolation, loss of electrochemical performance during complex microfabrication procedures, and limited uniformity of performance of large numbers of individual cells in large-scale arrays.

In this study, the researchers developed a versatile and high-throughput microfabrication strategy to overcome the above challenges by combining multi-step lithographic modeling, spray printing of MXene microelectrodes, and controlled three-dimensional (3D) printing of gel electrolytes.

They fabricated a monolithic integration of electrochemically isolated micro supercapacitors using high-resolution microcircuit fabrication techniques for microelectrode deposition and 3D printing for precision electrolyte deposition.

They obtained MIMSCs with a high areal density of 28 cells cm.^-2 (400 cells per 3.5×4.1 cm²), with a record planar output voltage of 75.6 V cm^-29.8 mWh cm acceptable system volumetric energy density^-2.3and high capacitance retention of 92% after 4000 cycles at 162V output voltage.

“This work paves the way for monolithic integrated and microscopic energy storage devices to power the microelectronics of the future,” said Professor Wu.