3D Printing Meets Porous Crystals for Next-Gen Batteries

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are the darlings of materials science due to their high porosity and chemical versatility. These traits make them exceptional candidates for storing energy in batteries and supercapacitors. However, a significant hurdle exists: they are notoriously difficult to manufacture using modern methods. Their structural fragility and flow limitations often make them incompatible with 3D printing platforms.

A new review introduces a 'property-oriented design framework' to bridge this gap. The approach strategically aligns key MOF attributes—such as mechanical flexibility, electrical conductivity, and thermal stability—with specific additive manufacturing techniques like Direct Ink Writing (DIW) and Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM). By utilising ligand engineering and composite formulation, researchers can now tune MOF properties to meet the rigorous demands of these printing methods.

This integration enables the fabrication of advanced electrodes that possess both mechanical robustness and hierarchical porosity for optimised ion transport. This design paradigm effectively links porous material chemistry with advanced manufacturing, unlocking new possibilities for electrochemical energy storage architectures.