3D printing enhanced catalysis for energy conversion and environment treatment

With the growth of energy and environment crisis, catalytic energy conversion and environment treatment have attracted tremendous attention among both scientific and industrial fields. Three-dimensional (3D) printing can construct various organic and inorganic materials into customized structures based on digitally designed 3D images models, which is a promising technology for manufacturing of high-performance materials for enhanced catalytic reactions. 3D printing has the advantages of free structure design, material saving and high manufacturing precision, and provides more possibilities for the design of materials and electrode structures in the field of catalysis. In this review, working principles of different 3D printing technologies are introduced, followed by the latest development of 3D printing applied for high-performance catalysis, including water-splitting and environment treatment reactions. Finally, the development prospects and challenges of combining 3D printing and catalytic technology are further discussed.