Low Liquid Metal Research Articles

Liquid metal induced segregated-like electromagnetic shielding composites with excellent photothermal conversion and strain sensing capacities

The development of multifunctional electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials has garnered significant attention, yet achieving flexible composites that integrate EMI shielding, thermal conductivity, and other functionalities under low filler loading remains a challenge. This study presents a novel flexible composite with segregated structure prepared via a simple co-mixing and hot-pressing method. By selectively distributing conductive Liquid metal (LM) and Multi-wall carbon nanotube (CNT) on the surface of Polyurethane (TPU) particles, a continuous and compact conductive network is successfully constructed, enabling the attainment of a high EMI shielding effectiveness of 80.2 dB and a thermal conductivity of 4.8 W m−1 K−1 even at low LM loadings. Furthermore, the composite exhibits low-voltage-driven Joule heating performance, excellent photothermal conversion efficiency, and promising potential for wearable sensor applications. The combination of these outstanding properties highlights the great potential of LM-based composites for next-generation wearable devices.

4D-Printable Liquid Metal-Liquid Crystal Elastomer Composites.

Soft actuators that undergo programmable shape change in response to a stimulus are enabling components of future soft robots and other soft machines. Strategies to power these actuators often require the incorporation of rigid, electrically conductive materials into the soft actuator, thus limiting the compliance and shape change of the material. In this study, we develop a 4D-printable composite composed of liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) matrix with dispersed droplets of eutectic gallium indium alloy (EGaIn). Using deformable EGaIn droplets in place of rigid conductive fillers preserves the compliance and shape-morphing properties of the LCE. The process enables 4D-printed LCE actuators capable of photothermal and electrothermal actuation. At low liquid metal (LM) concentrations (71 wt %), the composite actuator exhibits a photothermal response upon irradiation of near-IR light. Printed actuators with a twisted nematic configuration are capable of bending angles of 150° at 800 mW cm-2. At higher LM concentrations (88 wt %), the embedded LM droplets can form percolating networks that conduct electricity and enable electrical Joule heating of the LCE. Actuation strain ranging from 5 to 12% is controlled by the amount of electrical power that is delivered to the composite. We also introduce a method for multimaterial printing of monolithic structures where the LM filler loading is spatially varied. These multifunctional materials exhibit innate responsivity where the actuator behaves as an electrical switch and can report one of two states (on/off). These multiresponsive, 4D-printable composites enable multifunctional, mechanically active structures that can be powered with IR light or low DC voltages.

Highly Stretchable Conductor by Self-Assembling and Mechanical Sintering of a 2D Liquid Metal on a 3D Polydopamine-Modified Polyurethane Sponge.

A highly stretchable conductor was fabricated through dip-coating a new liquid metal (LM) electric ink on a polydopamine (PDA)-modified three-dimensional (3D) polyurethane sponge (PUS) followed by mechanical sintering. The LM was first sonicated to nanodroplets to reduce the consumption of LM and then modified by 3-mercaptopropionic acid (LMNPS-MPA) to improve the interfacial adhesion between LM and PUS. The denser and even distribution of LMNPS-MPA self-assembling on PDA-treated PUS (PUS-PDA) was successfully prepared via hydrogen bonding interactions. Mechanical sintering of 3D PUS-PDA coated by a two-dimensional (2D) LM layer was then conducted to obtain a continuous conductive network. Comparing with those of the reported 3D conductors, the resulting PUS-PDA-LM composite conductor shows both high electrical conductivity (478 S cm-1) under a low LM consumption of 10 vol% and excellent conductivity stability with the relative resistance change, ΔR/R0, of 2% at 50% strain under stretching deformation. The as-prepared PUS-PDA-LM composites were then successfully applied as flexible and stretchable light-emitting diode (LED) arrays with excellent conductivity and conductivity stability at different deformations. We believe that the 3D stretchable PUS-PDA-LM conductor has many potential applications in flexible sensors, flexible circuits, rollable displays, etc.