Sidney Starr
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3D-printed spectroelectrochemical cells

Custom PETG battery cells, designed so a Raman laser can look inside while they run, printed and iterated in-house on a Bambu Lab X2D.

Status
Ongoing, used in my thesis research
Tags
  • 3D printing
  • instrumentation
  • CAD
  • electrochemistry
A spectroelectrochemical cell, in cross-section (generic schematic)A microscope objective focuses a laser down through a thin window into a liquid electrolyte, onto the working electrode. A counter electrode sits nearby. The 3D-printed body holds everything at a fixed spacing and seals the liquid in.microscope objectiveelectrolyte (water-based)windowworking electrode(zinc)counter electrode3D-printed body: spacing, volume, seal
SchematicA generic schematic of the idea, until photos are added.

The problem

Operando Raman needs a battery cell with an optical window, controlled electrode geometry and a reliable seal, sized to fit under a microscope. Commercial options rarely fit a specific experiment.

What I built

A family of custom cells, modeled in CAD and printed in PETG on a Bambu Lab X2D, iterated until they hold electrolyte, align with the optics and give repeatable measurements.

TODO(Sidney): number of design generations, the key design moves, and what each version fixed.

Images

TODO(Sidney): exploded CAD render, a photo of the cell on the bench, and an X2D print timelapse (see design/ASSET_LIST.md).

What I learned

TODO(Sidney): two or three lessons, e.g. tolerances, sealing, material choice, or how fast iteration changed your experiments.