A Reusable Pseudo-Liquid-to-Solid Inertial Switch Based on Hetero-Coated Galinstan Droplets

Liu, Zehan; Wu, Mengxi; Xu, Zheng; Xiang, Xiaoyu; Li, Haoran; Du, Liqun; Liu, Junshan

doi:10.1109/jmems.2022.3203425

Cited by 1 publication

(3 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…[78] Thus, it is logical to coat the surface of an LMD with other materials to passivate the interface. [2,79] Coating can also functionalize the surface of an LMD and provide added benefits such as high electrical conductivity, [3,69,70,76,80,81] semiconducting properties, [82,83] mechanical robustness, [2,81] mechanical mobility, [2,3,69,70,84] and enhanced electrochemical actuation. [84,85] There are two dominant ways to coat the interface of a LMD.…”

Section: Interfacementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The mechanical robustness of the oxide skin of an LMD helps it retain its spherical shape but compromises its mechanical mobility. By coating the surface, it is possible to restore the non-wetting properties as well as functionalize the LMD for different sensing applications-motion, [69,70,80,81] gas, [71,133] pressure, [134,135] strain [136][137][138] and temperature. [139][140][141] Babatain et al demonstrated a flexible biaxial accelerometer featuring an EGaIn droplet coated with laser-induced graphene (LIG) as the proof mass in an inverted pyramid cavity with interdigitated LIG electrodes (see Figure 4a,b).…”

Section: Sensorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, Liu et al developed a pseudo‐liquid‐to‐solid inertial switch with a graphene‐coated LMD‐proof mass for collision detection. [ 81 ] One of the two proposed designs includes two polytetrafluoroethylene‐coated LMDs as its spring structure to improve the switch's reliability. The mechanical robustness of the LMD allows for multiple uses of the sensor.…”

Section: Advances In Liquid Metal Droplet‐enabled Devicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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From Droplets to Devices: Recent Advances in Liquid Metal Droplet Enabled Electronics

Babatain,

Kim,

Hussain

2023

Adv Funct Materials

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Liquid metals, particularly non‐toxic gallium‐based alloys, have emerged as promising materials for future soft electronics due to their unique properties, including fluidity, excellent electrical and thermal conductivities, and surface reactivity. They demonstrate adaptability, responsivity, and self‐healing abilities, offering a platform for innovative electronic devices. Embodied in a droplet form factor, gallium‐based liquid metal droplets (LMDs) combine the traits of liquid metals with the advantages of miniaturized structures, including high surface tension, high surface area, high mobility, and surface functionalization. This review discusses the inherent properties of LMDs, which have driven substantial research interest across various fields, such as sensors, robotics, electronic circuits, energy harvesters, drug delivery, and microfluidics systems, among others. Effective fabrication and processing techniques are detailed for LMDs, illustrating their role in applications previously challenging with conventional materials, such as reconfigurable, self‐healing, and transient electronics. Existing challenges and future directions in this growing field are discussed. This extensive review seeks to further the understanding of LMDs and their potential, offering a roadmap for their journey from a niche interest to a key material in various electronic devices.

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