Functional heterophasic liquid metals

Abstract

Liquid metals (LMs) have compelling applications in stretchable electronics, wearable devices, and soft robotics ascribing to the unique combination of room temperature fluidity and metallic electrical/thermal conductivity. Adding metallic elements in gallium‐based LMs can produce heterophasic (i.e., solid and liquid) LMs with altered properties including morphology, surface energy, rheology, electrical/thermal conductivity, and chemical reactivity. Importantly, heterophasic LMs can respond to external stimuli such as magnetic fields, temperature, and force. Thus, heterophasic LMs can broaden the potential applications of LMs. This report reviews the recent progress about heterophasic LMs through metallic elements in the periodic table and discusses their functionalities. The heterophasic LMs are systematically organized into four categories based on their features and applications including electrical/thermal conductivity, magnetic property, catalysis/energy management, and biomedical applications. This comprehensive review is aimed to help summarize the field and identify new opportunities for future studies.

Recent advances in intrinsically stretchable electronic materials and devices

“…Liquid metals that are liquid at room temperature, especially gallium‐based metals, have been demonstrated to be another promising candidate for the construction of stretchable conductors, due to their low toxicity, near‐zero vapor pressure, and high electrical conductivity [101] . Recently, many studies on liquid metal‐polymer composites as stretchable conductors [78,79,102–105] have been reported.…”

Interface of gallium-based liquid metals: oxide skin, wetting, and applications

“…124 At certain compositions, adding solid metal particles to GaLMs can produce an amalgam, a semiliquid/semisolid state composite. 125,126 The amalgam state of GaLMs and the solid metal particles is soft-solid phase with a good formability, enabling the molding of stable free-standing 3D structures. The properties of amalgams may differ depending on the types of solid metals.…”

A highly conductive, robust, self-healable, and thermally responsive liquid metal-based hydrogel for reversible electrical switches

“…Recently, gallium (Ga)-based liquid metals have attracted significant attention in the field of flexible and stretchable electronics, owing to their unique properties. 48–53 These liquid metals exhibit both the high electrical conductivity characteristics of metals and the elastic behavior of typical liquids. Therefore, liquid metal-based particles could potentially free the breakage caused by external deformation in PNIPAM hydrogels.…”