Opportunities at\nthe Intersection of 3D Printed Polymers\nand Pyrolysis for the Microfabrication of Carbon-Based Energy Materials

In an era marked by a growing demand for sustainable\nand high-performance\nmaterials, the convergence of additive manufacturing (AM), also known\nas 3D printing, and the thermal treatment, or pyrolysis, of polymers\nto form high surface area hierarchically structured carbon materials\nstands poised to catalyze transformative advancements across a spectrum\nof electrification and energy storage applications. Designing 3D printed\npolymers using low-cost resins specifically for conversion to high\nperformance carbon structures via post-printing thermal treatments\novercomes the challenges of 3D printing pure carbon directly due to\nthe inability of pure carbon to be polymerized, melted, or sintered\nunder ambient conditions. In this perspective, we outline the current\nstate of AM methods that have been used in combination with pyrolysis\nto generate 3D carbon structures and highlight promising systems to\nexplore further. As part of this endeavor, we discuss the effects\nof 3D printed polymer chemistry composition, additives, and pyrolysis\nconditions on resulting 3D pyrolytic carbon properties. Furthermore,\nwe demonstrate the viability of combining continuous liquid interface\nproduction (CLIP) vat photopolymerization with pyrolysis as a promising\navenue for producing 3D pyrolytic carbon lattice structures with 15\nμm feature resolution, paving way for 3D carbon-based sustainable\nenergy applications.