Directional Motion of Gallium-Based Liquid Metal Induced by Asymmetric Chemical Surrounding

Abstract

Interfacial, or surface tension, is a significant topic in chemical education. This paper describes the directional motion of gallium-based liquid metal drops, resulting from a difference of interfacial tension across the drop. This demonstration can engage students in discovering the underlying chemical principles. A mechanism for the drop's directional motion is proposed to provide insight into this intriguing phenomenon. It appears that unbalanced chemical environments cause different physical or chemical processes to occur on each hemisphere of the drop, such as a pH difference, redox reactions, galvanic replacement, or adsorption. As a result, a difference in the interfacial tension across the drop is generated, providing the driving force that acts on the drop. This demonstration can be used to introduce the fundamental principles in chemical reactions, such as redox activity, electrical double layer formation, and interfacial tension.

Deformation Behavior of Eutectic Gallium–Indium under Electric Fields

“…Such Ga-based alloys have garnered significant attention in the field of nanometallurgy, owing to their ability to maintain their liquid states at approximately RT . Additionally, the distinctive motion characteristics of LMs have attracted considerable research interest. , …”