Metals Advances ›› 2026, Vol. 44: 60-69.DOI: 10.1016/j.metadv.2026.03.007

• Research Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Thick, asymmetric electrodes enable high-energy-density 3D-printed flexible quasi-solid-state micro-supercapacitors

Pinjing Yaoa,1, Qinghuang Huanga,1, Wangyang Lia,b, Bingyuan Kec, Zhibo Yangd, Jixi Chene, Huagui Zhange, Dun-Bao Ruana, Xinghui Wanga,b,*()   

  1. a College of Physics and Information Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
    b Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, Changzhou 213000, China
    c School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue 639798, Singapore
    d Shenzhen BYD Lithium Battery Company Limited, Shenzhen 518116, China
    e College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
  • Received:2025-12-27 Revised:2026-02-04 Accepted:2026-02-11 Online:2026-06-10 Published:2026-03-25
  • Contact: * College of Physics and Information Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China. E-mail address: seaphy23@fzu.edu.cn (X. Wang).
  • About author:

    1These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract:

Achieving thick electrodes concurrent with efficient ion and electron transport remains a critical bottleneck in enhancing the areal energy density of micro-supercapacitors (MSCs). Herein, a quasi-solid-state MSC with bicontinuous thick electrodes is constructed, in which an asymmetric geometry composed of nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) and activated carbon (AC) is employed. This electrode architecture provides both continuous electron pathways and interconnected porosity, supporting high mass loading simultaneously with fast transport dynamics. The resulting NiHCF//AC MSCs show a wide potential window of 1.6 V, a superior areal capacitance up to 1826 mF cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2, a notable energy density of 649 μWh cm−2, and excellent cycling stability (90.2% retention of the initial capacitance after 2000 cycles). Moreover, the MSCs demonstrate excellent mechanical toughness and can be integrated into series-parallel configurations for tunable output. This work mitigates the trade-off between mass loading and charge transport, offering a feasible route toward high-energy-density, flexible, and scalable micro-energy storage systems.

Key words: Prussian blue analogue, 3D printing, Asymmetric supercapacitors, High energy density, Miniature energy storage, Thick electrodes