| Abstract Scope |
Structural energy storage materials simultaneously bear mechanical loads and store energy, a key enabling technology for lightweight, deployable systems in aerospace and robotics, where eliminating dead weight from separate structural and battery components is critical. This work demonstrates a hybrid additive manufacturing strategy, combining inkjet-based material deposition with origami shaping, to produce such multifunctional components using bacterial cellulose (BC) as a renewable, foldable substrate. Multi-material inks containing metal precursors, such as ammonium metatungstate (AMT), were selectively printed onto BC sheets, then folded via the Miura-ori origami technique to yield deployable three-dimensional architectures. Heat treatment converted the printed precursors into metal carbides within a conductive carbon scaffold. The resulting structures were evaluated by SEM, XRD, electromechanical testing, and battery-configuration testing. This work highlights the potential of inkjet-patterned, origami architectures to enable foldable, shape morphing structural batteries with tunable mechanical, electrochemical trade-offs across facets, offering a pathway toward energy storing, load-bearing components. |