Highly Stable Liquid Metal Conductors with Superior Electrical Stability and Tough Interface Bonding for Stretchable Electronics

Abstract

Ga-based liquid metal stretchable conductors have recently gained interest in flexible electronic devices such as electrodes, antennas, and sensors. It is essential to maintain electrical stability under strain or cyclic strain for reliable data acquisition and exhibit tough interfacial bonding between liquid metal and polymers to prevent performance loss and device failure. Herein, a highly stable conductor with superior electrical stability and tough interface bonding is introduced by casting curable polymers and a peeling-activated process from liquid metal particles. Based on the compensating effect of liquid metal, similar to the recharge relationship of water between rivers and lakes in nature, the conductor is not only strain-insensitive (ΔR/R 0 < 10% for 100% strain) but also immune to cyclic deformation (ΔR/R 0 < 7% with 5000 stretching cycles at 50% strain). Embedding liquid metal within the elastomer to create stretchable conductors effectively improves interfacial adhesion properties (the fluid–solid interfacial adhesion force increases from 0.48 to 0.62 mN/mm2). The constructed tough interface could even withstand sonication treatment. Finally, by combining strategies in material design and fabrication, an integrated array composed of vertical interconnect access and robust electrodes is fabricated, which simultaneously holds tough interfacial bonding with the upper and lower layers.

Flexible Grid Graphene Electrothermal Films for Real-Time Monitoring Applications

“…Electrothermal materials convert electrical energy into thermal energy through the Joule heating effect . Traditional electrothermal materials such as metal alloys and ceramics have high thermal stability, but their complex manufacturing processes, stiffness, and high-quality density limit their mass production of flexible electrothermal films. − Carbon-based materials, such as carbon nanotubes, , carbon black, , and graphene materials, − have become the best choice for flexible electrothermal films due to their low-quality density, high thermal conductivity, and high-temperature resistance. Among them, graphene material, due to its lightweight, excellent conductivity, mechanical properties, and high electrical-thermal conversion efficiency, has become one of the best choices for electrothermal materials. − A lot of work has been done on the properties of graphene-based electrothermal films.…”

Advancements in Sustainable Conductors: Exploring the Potential of Polybutadiene-Based Urethane and Eutectic Gallium Indium Composites for Autonomous Self-Healing, Stretchable, and Deformation-Resistant Electrical Applications

“…Our investigation entailed a comprehensive comparative analysis aimed at benchmarking the performance characteristics of the PBU-EGaIn composite developed in this study against existing research paradigms. The examination encompassed a spectrum of composite con gurations, each designed to imbue the material with speci c attributes such as stretchability, minimal resistance variation under mechanical strain, self-healing capabilities, and recyclability, as delineated in Table 1 [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48]. Notably, the composite we developed stands out for its unique amalgamation of these properties, a feat unparalleled by preceding materials.…”