Smart Energy Bricks: Ti₃C₂@Polymer Electrochemical Energy Storage inside Bricks by 3D Printing

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has a pronounced impact on building construction and energy storage devices. Here, the concept of integrating 3D-printed electrochemical devices into insulation voids in construction bricks is demonstrated in order to create electrochemical energy storage as an integral part of home building. The low-cost 3D-printed supercapacitor (SC) electrodes are created using graphene/polylactic acid (PLA) filament in any desired shape such as 3D cylindrical- (3Dcy), disk- (3Ddc), and 3D rectangular- (3Drc) shaped electrodes. To obtain excellent capacitive performance, a Ti₃C₂@polypyrrole (PPy) hybrid is uniformly electroplated on the surface of 3D-printed electrodes. These Ti₃C₂@PPy-coated 3D-printed electrodes exhibit outstanding electrical conductivity, capacitive performance, cycle life, and power density. The bricks themselves act as an excellent scaffold for electrochemical energy devices as they are electrically insulating, fire-resistant, and contain substantial unused thermal insulation voids. A 3Drc Ti₃C₂@PPy SC is integrated into a real brick to showcase a smart house energy storage system that allows to reserve power in the bricks and use it as a power backup source in the event of a power outage in the elevator. This concept provides a platform for future truly smart buildings built from added value “smart brick” energy storage systems.