Something as innovative as using liquid metal to turn ordinary materials into smart electrical devices may have been unattainable a few decades ago, but is now set to become a reality, reported SciTech Daily citing a study.
According to a study published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science by Chinese researchers, a new technique has been discovered that could completely revolutionize the electronics industry.
The research suggests that ordinary materials such as paper and plastic can now be turned into electronic “smart devices” using liquid metal.
The research team, led by Bo Yuan of Tsinghua University, has developed a straightforward but innovative technique for applying liquid metal coatings to surfaces that normally do not bond well with matter.
The study shows how effective this approach can be when applied at scale, opening the door to wearable testing platforms, flexible technology and perhaps soft robotics.
Yuan explained the significance of their discovery, stating, “Before, we thought it was impossible for liquid metal to adhere so easily to non-wetting surfaces, but here it can adhere to different surfaces just by adjusting the pressure, which is very interesting.”
Previously, the high surface tension of liquid metal prevented effective bonding with traditional materials, resulting in difficult integration with traditional materials.
Yuan and team looked for an alternative that would allow liquid metal to be directly printed on substrates while retaining its characteristics to circumvent these limitations.
Ultimately, they coated different silicone and silicone polymer stamps with two different types of liquid metal, eGaln and BilnSn, and used different pressures to rub the stamps onto the paper surfaces.
Fortunately, the researchers achieved stable adhesion of a liquid metal coating to paper by applying a small amount of force and folding the paper in a paper crane, showing that the metal coated paper retains its original properties even after folding.
Despite these great developments, Yuan noted that it is still difficult to guarantee the longevity of the liquid metal coating after application, but the team is determined to create an alternative to applying packaging material to the paper surface.
Yuan noted, “Just as wet ink on paper can be wiped off by hand, the packaging-free liquid metal coating here can also be wiped off by the object it touches as it is applied. The properties of the coating itself will not be greatly affected, but the objects in contact may be contaminated.”
Furthermore, the researchers plan to extend the applicability of the method to a wider range of surfaces and construct innovative smart devices.