Analytical and experimental studies of the improved conductance-stability and stretchability of the liquid metal-embedded composites based on novel continuous annular-shaped branch channels

Abstract

Stretchable and conductance-stable composites are critical for progress in flexible electronics. Tremendous efforts have focused on engineering electrical conductors from liquid metal-embedded elastomers. While these elastomers enable elastic compliance and deformability, the embedded liquid metal is vulnerable to puncture that causes undesired electrical failure, and most of the conductive elastomers are strain-sensitive with degenerative conductance upon deformations. Here, we combined analytical and numerical analyses with experimental studies to investigate the effects of the innovatively designed continuous annular-shaped branch channels, inspired by the Tesla valve, on the performances of the LM-embedded conductive composite. Theoretically, in the process of mechanical deformations, the as-proposed continuous annular-shaped architecture can dissipate the pressure energy of the fluidic LM to enhance the fracture toughness of the composite, while the LM flow could be accelerated as the deformation was removed to maintain the percolated conductive path, leading to excellent conductive stability. Experimentally, the as-fabricated composite conductor with continuous annular-shaped branch channels can be stretched up to ∼80% (more than two times higher than conventional LM-embedded composite), and upon fully activating the conductive pathway, a very high conductivity of ∼4 × 104 S m−1 and conductance change of less than 2% under varied deformations, including stretching, flexing, twisting and compressing, are realized. It is believed that this novel design strategy will extend the understanding and application opportunities of LM as functional materials in the development of flexible electronics.