3D Printed Cement Supercapacitors Could Power Next-Gen 'Smart' Buildings: Cement-Based Energy Storage Remains Challenging, However

     A new study published in ACS Nano involves cement-based supercapacitors for energy storage in smart buildings. Supercapacitors store very small amounts of energy but charge and discharge rapidly and for millions of cycles. Putting them within building materials like cement would avoid the need for bulky batteries.

     According to Tech Xplore:

"If renewable energy is available to recharge [the supercapacitors] frequently enough, they could meet some energy needs through repeated charging and discharging," says Zhong, the corresponding author of the study.

“Zhong and colleagues Wencai Ren and Haiping Wu first mixed carbon nanotubes, carbon black and cement to form a printable electrode ink. Then, using a 3D printer, they deposited the ink onto a small concrete slab in a pattern resembling interlocked fingers.”

“As the cement within the slab was hydrated, its pores filled with water and ions that easily traveled between the electrodes. And as this design shortened the distance charged ions had to travel, the overall supercapacitor was more efficient than previous iterations.”

     The compressive strength of the supercapacitor was found to be similar to that of commercial concrete. Supercapacitors could be used to power small loads like LEDs, self-powered sensors, and emergency lighting.

     Operation was found to be stable down to about 0 degrees Fahrenheit, and the researchers are hoping to engineer one that will be able to handle colder temps.

Zhong explains that "if building materials could not only support structures but also store energy, sense their surroundings and even interact with people, buildings would become more than passive shelters. They could become truly smart environments."

     Challenges to cement-based energy storage include overcoming the poor mechanical properties at the interface between the electrode and the separator and inefficient ion transport. Other challenges include electrolyte freezing and moisture management.

 

   

References:

 

Cement-based supercapacitors could power next-generation 'smart' buildings. American Chemical Society. Tech Xplore. edited by Robert Egan. October 1, 2026. Cement-based supercapacitors could power next-generation 'smart' buildings

Monolithic 3D-Printed Interdigitated Cement-Based Supercapacitors for Structural Energy Storage. Haiping Wu; Jing Zhong; Wencai Ren. ACS Nano (August 17, 2026) 20 (34): 24078–24090. Monolithic 3D-Printed Interdigitated Cement-Based Supercapacitors for Structural Energy Storage | ACS Nano | ACS Publications