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Mirzajani H, Kraft M. Soft Bioelectronics for Heart Monitoring. ACS Sens 2024; 9:4328-4363. [PMID: 39239948 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.4c00442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a predominant global health concern, accounting for over 17.9 million deaths in 2019, representing approximately 32% of all global fatalities. In North America and Europe, over a million adults undergo cardiac surgeries annually. Despite the benefits, such surgeries pose risks and require precise postsurgery monitoring. However, during the postdischarge period, where monitoring infrastructures are limited, continuous monitoring of vital signals is hindered. In this area, the introduction of implantable electronics is altering medical practices by enabling real-time and out-of-hospital monitoring of physiological signals and biological information postsurgery. The multimodal implantable bioelectronic platforms have the capability of continuous heart sensing and stimulation, in both postsurgery and out-of-hospital settings. Furthermore, with the emergence of machine learning algorithms into healthcare devices, next-generation implantables will benefit artificial intelligence (AI) and connectivity with skin-interfaced electronics to provide more precise and user-specific results. This Review outlines recent advancements in implantable bioelectronics and their utilization in cardiovascular health monitoring, highlighting their transformative deployment in sensing and stimulation to the heart toward reaching truly personalized healthcare platforms compatible with the Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 of the WHO 2030 observatory roadmap. This Review also discusses the challenges and future prospects of these devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadi Mirzajani
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Koç University, Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450 Turkey
| | - Michael Kraft
- Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT-MNS), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Institute for Micro- and Nanoscale Integration (LIMNI), KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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2
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Wang S, Li X. Soft composites with liquid inclusions: functional properties and theoretical models. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2024; 36:493003. [PMID: 39222657 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/ad765d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Soft materials containing liquid inclusions have emerged as a promising class of materials. Unlike solid inclusions, liquid inclusions possess intrinsic fluidity, which allows them to retain the excellent deformation ability of soft materials. This can prevent compliance mismatches between the inclusions and the matrix, thus leading to improved performance and durability. Various liquids, including metallic, water-based, and ionic liquids, have been selected as inclusions for embedding into soft materials, resulting in unique properties and functionalities that enable a wide range of applications in soft robotics, wearable devices, and other cutting-edge fields. This review provides an overview of recent studies on the functional properties of composites with liquid inclusions and discusses theoretical models used to estimate these properties, aiming to bridge the gap between the microstructure/components and the overall properties of the composite from a theoretical perspective. Furthermore, current challenges and future opportunities for the widespread application of these composites are explored, highlighting their potential in advancing technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Wang
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiying Li
- Robotic Materials Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
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3
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Li N, Yuan X, Li Y, Zhang G, Yang Q, Zhou Y, Guo M, Liu J. Bioinspired Liquid Metal Based Soft Humanoid Robots. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2404330. [PMID: 38723269 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202404330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
The pursuit of constructing humanoid robots to replicate the anatomical structures and capabilities of human beings has been a long-standing significant undertaking and especially garnered tremendous attention in recent years. However, despite the progress made over recent decades, humanoid robots have predominantly been confined to those rigid metallic structures, which however starkly contrast with the inherent flexibility observed in biological systems. To better innovate this area, the present work systematically explores the value and potential of liquid metals and their derivatives in facilitating a crucial transition towards soft humanoid robots. Through a comprehensive interpretation of bionics, an overview of liquid metals' multifaceted roles as essential components in constructing advanced humanoid robots-functioning as soft actuators, sensors, power sources, logical devices, circuit systems, and even transformable skeletal structures-is presented. It is conceived that the integration of these components with flexible structures, facilitated by the unique properties of liquid metals, can create unexpected versatile functionalities and behaviors to better fulfill human needs. Finally, a revolution in humanoid robots is envisioned, transitioning from metallic frameworks to hybrid soft-rigid structures resembling that of biological tissues. This study is expected to provide fundamental guidance for the coming research, thereby advancing the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaohong Yuan
- School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Yuqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Guangcheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qianhong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yingxin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Minghui Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Jing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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4
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Xie J, Zhou G, Sun Y, Zhang F, Kang F, Li B, Zhao Y, Zhang Y, Feng W, Zheng Q. Multifunctional Liquid Metal-Bridged Graphite Nanoplatelets/Aramid Nanofiber Film for Thermal Management. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2305163. [PMID: 38048535 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202305163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Miniaturization of modern micro-electronic devices urges the development of multi-functional thermal management materials. Traditional polymer composite-based thermal management materials are promising candidates, but they suffer from single functionality, high cost, and low fire-resistance. Herein, a multifunctional liquid metal (LM)-bridged graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs)/ aramid nanofibers (ANFs) film is fabricated via a facile vacuum-assisted self-assembly approach followed by compression. ANFs serve as interfacial binders to link LM and GNPs together via hydrogen bondings and π-π interactions, while LM bridges the adjacent layer of GNPs to endow a fast thermal transport by phonons and electrons. The resultant composite films exhibit a high bidirectional thermal conductivity (In-plane: 29.5 W m-1K-1 and through-plane: 5.3 W m-1K-1), offering a reliable and effective cooling. Moreover, the as-fabricated composite films exhibit superior flame-retardance (peak of heat release rate of 4000J g-1), outstanding Joule heating performance (200 °C at supplied voltage of 3.5 V), and excellent electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE of 62 dB). This work provides an efficient avenue to fabricate multifuntional thermal management materials for micro-electronic devices, battery thermal management, and artificial intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junwen Xie
- School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, P. R. China
| | - Gang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Carbon Materials of Zhejiang Province, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, P. R. China
| | - Yuxuan Sun
- School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, P. R. China
| | - Fei Zhang
- School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, P. R. China
| | - Feiyu Kang
- Testing Technology Center for Materials and Devices, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (SIGS), Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Baohua Li
- Testing Technology Center for Materials and Devices, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (SIGS), Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Yun Zhao
- Testing Technology Center for Materials and Devices, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (SIGS), Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Yinhang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Carbon Materials of Zhejiang Province, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, P. R. China
- Rui'an Graduate College of Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325206, P. R. China
| | - Wei Feng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
| | - Qingbin Zheng
- School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, P. R. China
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5
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Zhang X, Zhang X, Ge S, Zhang B, Zhang D, Yang J. Flexible Thermoelectric Device Based on Protrusion-Structured Liquid Metal Elastomer for Gravity Heat Pipe. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:592. [PMID: 38793165 PMCID: PMC11123384 DOI: 10.3390/mi15050592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Monitoring the temperature of the coal gangue mountains is fundamental to preventing their spontaneous combustion. However, the existing temperature monitoring systems fail to achieve stable, pollution-free temperature monitoring without affecting vegetation growth in these mountains. To address this issue, this work proposes a flexible thermoelectric device (FTD) based on a protrusion-structured liquid metal elastomer (LME). Utilizing a high-thermal-conductivity LME, the FTD adheres closely to the surface of the gravity heat pipe (GHP), ensuring compatibility between FTD and the curved surface of the GHP. Simultaneously, employing a low-thermal-conductivity elastomer helps concentrate heat onto FTD, thereby enhancing thermoelectric power generation efficiency. Additionally, the impact of the shape, size, and height of the protrusion structure at the cold end of the GHP on its efficiency was also investigated. The practical application of FTD on GHP was demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaogang Zhang
- College of Safety and Emergency Management Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Jinzhong 030600, China
| | - Xinghua Zhang
- College of Safety and Emergency Management Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Jinzhong 030600, China
| | - Shaocheng Ge
- College of Safety and Emergency Management Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Jinzhong 030600, China
| | - Bailin Zhang
- College of Safety and Emergency Management Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Jinzhong 030600, China
| | - Dongguang Zhang
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Jiayi Yang
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China
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6
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Madadi M, Zhang P. Finite-size effect on the percolation and electromechanical behaviors of liquid metal particulate composites. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:1061-1069. [PMID: 38206109 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01469j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Liquid metal particulate composites (LMPCs) are super-stretchable conductors with promising applications in soft electronics. Their conductance originates from the percolation networks of liquid metal particles. This work aims at elucidating the effect of finite-size and sample shape on the percolation and electromechanical properties of LMPCs, given that their dimensions range from microns to centimeters. It is found that their percolation threshold is dominated by the smallest dimension of the samples, not the shape or aspect ratio. A smaller sample size increases the percolation threshold and makes it harder to activate the conductance. In addition, smaller samples are more sensitive to local defects, which adversely impair the electromechanical properties or even undermine the conductance. Finally, this work considers the influence of finite-size on the piezoresistance effect, i.e., strain-dependent resistance. It is found that the piezoresistance effect and finite-size effect are uncorrelated, if the samples are above the percolation threshold. The findings provide not only fundamental insights on the finite-size effect of percolation but also guidance on the design-fabrication process for LMPCs to achieve more reliable electromechanical performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Madadi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA.
| | - Pu Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA.
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7
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Qiao X, Zhang Y, Wang L, Zhou S, Pang X. Simple preparation of lignosulfonate stabilized eutectic gallium/indium liquid metal nanodroplets through ball milling process. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 254:127809. [PMID: 37926321 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The combination of biomass and liquid metal (LM) makes the preparation process "greener" and application of LM composite materials more sustainable. Here we reported the solvent free preparation of lignosulfonate (LS) stabilized eutectic gallium/indium (EGaIn) LM nanodroplets through ball milling (BM), which was recognized to be efficient and environmentally-friendly alternatives to solution-based methods. By regulating the BM frequency and milling time, uniform LM nanodroplets with a size <200 nm can be achieved. Moreover, the surface of the EGaIn nanodroplets was covered by LS molecules, owing to the hydrogen bond formed between Ga2O3 and LS. Hydrophilic LS shell endowed the LS@EGaIn nanodroplets excellent colloidal stability in the aqueous media. The elongation at break and fracture strength of hydrogel with the addition of LS@EGaIn significantly improved with the addition of LS@EGaIn. Besides, the conductivity and excellent stress responsibility of the LS@EGaIn composite hydrogel illustrated its potential application as s a stress sensor, flexible wearable devices and other related applications. Moreover, it was predicted that LS can be replaced by other synthesized or biological macromolecules, and induced the formation of types of LM based composite materials through such a simple method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguang Qiao
- College of Materials Engineering, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Rare Earth Composite Materials, Henan Engineering Technology Research Center for Fiber Preparation and Modification, Henan University of Engineering, Zhengzhou 451191, China; Henan Joint International Research Laboratory of Living Polymerizations and Functional Nanomaterials, Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Nylon Materials and Application, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
| | - Yuhan Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Henan Joint International Research Laboratory of Living Polymerizations and Functional Nanomaterials, Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Nylon Materials and Application, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Linan Wang
- Henan Joint International Research Laboratory of Living Polymerizations and Functional Nanomaterials, Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Nylon Materials and Application, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Shuzhen Zhou
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
| | - Xinchang Pang
- Henan Joint International Research Laboratory of Living Polymerizations and Functional Nanomaterials, Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Nylon Materials and Application, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
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8
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Bark H, Thangavel G, Liu RJ, Chua DHC, Lee PS. Effective Surface Modification of 2D MXene toward Thermal Energy Conversion and Management. SMALL METHODS 2023; 7:e2300077. [PMID: 37069766 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Thermal energy management is a crucial aspect of many research developments, such as hybrid and soft electronics, aerospace, and electric vehicles. The selection of materials is of critical importance in these applications to manage thermal energy effectively. From this perspective, MXene, a new type of 2D material, has attracted considerable attention in thermal energy management, including thermal conduction and conversion, owing to its unique electrical and thermal properties. However, tailored surface modification of 2D MXenes is required to meet the application requirements or overcome specific limitations. Herein, a comprehensive review of surface modification of 2D MXenes for thermal energy management is discussed. First, this work discusses the current progress in the surface modification of 2D MXenes, including termination with functional groups, small-molecule organic compound functionalization, and polymer modification and composites. Subsequently, an in situ analysis of surface-modified 2D MXenes is presented. This is followed by an overview of the recent progress in the thermal energy management of 2D MXenes and their composites, such as Joule heating, heat dissipation, thermoelectric energy conversion, and photothermal conversion. Finally, some challenges facing the application of 2D MXenes are discussed, and an outlook on surface-modified 2D MXenes is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunwoo Bark
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Gurunathan Thangavel
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Rui Jun Liu
- Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Daniel H C Chua
- Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Pooi See Lee
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
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9
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Hu Y, Majidi C. Dielectric Elastomers with Liquid Metal and Polydopamine-Coated Graphene Oxide Inclusions. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:24769-24776. [PMID: 37184064 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c21994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Suspending microscale droplets of liquid metals like eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has been shown to dramatically enhance electrical permittivity without sacrificing the elasticity of the host PDMS matrix. However, increasing the dielectric constant of EGaIn-PDMS composites beyond previously reported values requires high EGaIn loading fractions (>50% by volume) that can result in substantial increases in density and loss of material integrity. In this work, we enhance permittivity without further increasing EGaIn loading by incorporating polydopamine (PDA)-coated graphene oxide (GO) and partially reduced GO. In particular, we show that the combination of EGaIn and PDA-GO within a PDMS matrix results in an elastomer composite with a high dielectric constant (∼10-57), a low dissipation factor (∼0.01), and rubber-like compliance and elasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafeng Hu
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Carmel Majidi
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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Ma J, Krisnadi F, Vong MH, Kong M, Awartani OM, Dickey MD. Shaping a Soft Future: Patterning Liquid Metals. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2205196. [PMID: 36044678 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202205196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
This review highlights the unique techniques for patterning liquid metals containing gallium (e.g., eutectic gallium indium, EGaIn). These techniques are enabled by two unique attributes of these liquids relative to solid metals: 1) The fluidity of the metal allows it to be injected, sprayed, and generally dispensed. 2) The solid native oxide shell allows the metal to adhere to surfaces and be shaped in ways that would normally be prohibited due to surface tension. The ability to shape liquid metals into non-spherical structures such as wires, antennas, and electrodes can enable fluidic metallic conductors for stretchable electronics, soft robotics, e-skins, and wearables. The key properties of these metals with a focus on methods to pattern liquid metals into soft or stretchable devices are summari.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinwoo Ma
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Febby Krisnadi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Man Hou Vong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Minsik Kong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Omar M Awartani
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, American University of Beirut, Beirut, 1107-2020, Lebanon
| | - Michael D Dickey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
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Fast on-off controlling of electrohydrodynamic printing based on AC oscillation induced voltage. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3790. [PMID: 36882512 PMCID: PMC9992658 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30956-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Stability control of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing technology is urgent needed for efficient fabrication of flexible electronics. In this study, a new fast on-off controlling technology for micro droplets of EHD is proposed by applying an AC induced voltage. The suspending droplet interface is broken through quickly, and the impulse current can be significantly reduced from 527.2 to 50.14 nA, which greatly reduces its negative impact on jet stability. What's more, time interval of jet generation can be shortened by a factor of three, while not only significantly improving the uniformity of the droplets, but effectively reducing the droplet size from 195 to 104 μm. Moreover, the controllable and mass formation of micro droplets are realized, but also the structure of each droplet is able to be controlled independently, which promoted the development of EHD printing technology in more fields.
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12
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Wang L, Yi Z, Zhao Y, Liu Y, Wang S. Stretchable conductors for stretchable field-effect transistors and functional circuits. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:795-835. [PMID: 36562312 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00837h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Stretchable electronics have received intense attention due to their broad application prospects in many areas, and can withstand large deformations and form close contact with curved surfaces. Stretchable conductors are vital components of stretchable electronic devices used in wearables, soft robots, and human-machine interactions. Recent advances in stretchable conductors have motivated basic scientific and technological research efforts. Here, we outline and analyse the development of stretchable conductors in transistors and circuits, and examine advances in materials, device engineering, and preparation technologies. We divide the existing approaches to constructing stretchable transistors with stretchable conductors into the following two types: geometric engineering and intrinsic stretchability engineering. Finally, we consider the challenges and outlook in this field for delivering stretchable electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangjie Wang
- Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | - Zhengran Yi
- Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | - Yunqi Liu
- Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | - Shuai Wang
- Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China. .,School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China.
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13
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Cao J, Li X, Liu Y, Zhu G, Li RW. Liquid Metal-Based Electronics for On-Skin Healthcare. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:84. [PMID: 36671919 PMCID: PMC9856137 DOI: 10.3390/bios13010084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Wearable devices are receiving growing interest in modern technologies for realizing multiple on-skin purposes, including flexible display, flexible e-textiles, and, most importantly, flexible epidermal healthcare. A 'BEER' requirement, i.e., biocompatibility, electrical elasticity, and robustness, is first proposed here for all the on-skin healthcare electronics for epidermal applications. This requirement would guide the designing of the next-generation on-skin healthcare electronics. For conventional stretchable electronics, the rigid conductive materials, e.g., gold nanoparticles and silver nanofibers, would suffer from an easy-to-fail interface with elastic substrates due to a Young's modulus mismatch. Liquid metal (LM) with high conductivity and stretchability has emerged as a promising solution for robust stretchable epidermal electronics. In addition, the fundamental physical, chemical, and biocompatible properties of LM are illustrated. Furthermore, the fabrication strategies of LM are outlined for pure LM, LM composites, and LM circuits based on the surface tension control. Five dominant epidermal healthcare applications of LM are illustrated, including electrodes, interconnectors, mechanical sensors, thermal management, and biomedical and sustainable applications. Finally, the key challenges and perspectives of LM are identified for the future research vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinwei Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
- Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo 315100, China
| | - Xin Li
- School of Integrated Circuits and Beijing National Research Centre for Information Science and Technology (BNRist), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yiwei Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
| | - Guang Zhu
- Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo 315100, China
| | - Run-Wei Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
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14
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Zhao Z, Soni S, Lee T, Nijhuis CA, Xiang D. Smart Eutectic Gallium-Indium: From Properties to Applications. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2203391. [PMID: 36036771 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202203391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn), a liquid metal with a melting point close to or below room temperature, has attracted extensive attention in recent years due to its excellent properties such as fluidity, high conductivity, thermal conductivity, stretchability, self-healing capability, biocompatibility, and recyclability. These features of EGaIn can be adjusted by changing the experimental condition, and various composite materials with extended properties can be further obtained by mixing EGaIn with other materials. In this review, not only the are unique properties of EGaIn introduced, but also the working principles for the EGaIn-based devices are illustrated and the developments of EGaIn-related techniques are summarized. The applications of EGaIn in various fields, such as flexible electronics (sensors, antennas, electronic circuits), molecular electronics (molecular memory, opto-electronic switches, or reconfigurable junctions), energy catalysis (heat management, motors, generators, batteries), biomedical science (drug delivery, tumor therapy, bioimaging and neural interfaces) are reviewed. Finally, a critical discussion of the main challenges for the development of EGaIn-based techniques are discussed, and the potential applications in new fields are prospected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhibin Zhao
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, 300350, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Saurabh Soni
- Department of Molecules and Materials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Molecules Center and Center for Brain-Inspired Nano Systems, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, 7500 AE, The Netherlands
| | - Takhee Lee
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute of Applied Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Christian A Nijhuis
- Department of Molecules and Materials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Molecules Center and Center for Brain-Inspired Nano Systems, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, 7500 AE, The Netherlands
| | - Dong Xiang
- Institute of Modern Optics and Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University, 300350, Tianjin, P. R. China
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15
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Choe M, Sin D, Bhuyan P, Lee S, Jeon H, Park S. Ultrasoft and Ultrastretchable Wearable Strain Sensors with Anisotropic Conductivity Enabled by Liquid Metal Fillers. MICROMACHINES 2022; 14:17. [PMID: 36677078 PMCID: PMC9862167 DOI: 10.3390/mi14010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Herein, ultrasoft and ultrastretchable wearable strain sensors enabled by liquid metal fillers in an elastic polymer are described. The wearable strain sensors that can change the effective resistance upon strains are prepared by mixing silicone elastomer with liquid metal (EGaIn, Eutectic gallium-indium alloy) fillers. While the silicone is mixed with the liquid metal by shear mixing, the liquid metal is rendered into small droplets stabilized by an oxide, resulting in a non-conductive liquid metal elastomer. To attain electrical conductivity, localized mechanical pressure is applied using a stylus onto the thermally cured elastomer, resulting in the formation of a handwritten conductive trace by rupturing the oxide layer of the liquid metal droplets and subsequent percolation. Although this approach has been introduced previously, the liquid metal dispersed elastomers developed here are compelling because of their ultra-stretchable (elongation at break of 4000%) and ultrasoft (Young’s modulus of <0.1 MPa) mechanical properties. The handwritten conductive trace in the elastomers can maintain metallic conductivity when strained; however, remarkably, we observed that the electrical conductivity is anisotropic upon parallel and perpendicular strains to the conductive trace. This anisotropic conductivity of the liquid metal elastomer film can manipulate the locomotion of a robot by routing the power signals between the battery and the driving motor of a robot upon parallel and perpendicular strains to the hand-written circuit. In addition, the liquid metal dispersed elastomers have a high degree of deformation and adhesion; thus, they are suitable for use as a wearable sensor for monitoring various body motions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjae Choe
- Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongho Sin
- Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Priyanuj Bhuyan
- Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangmin Lee
- Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Hongchan Jeon
- Sustainable Materials Research Team, Research & Development Division, Hyundai Motor Group, Uiwang 16082, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungjune Park
- Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
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16
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Shah NUH, Kanetkar S, Uppal A, Dickey MD, Wang RY, Rykaczewski K. Mechanism of Oil-in-Liquid Metal Emulsion Formation. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:13279-13287. [PMID: 36256617 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Gallium-based liquid metals (LMs) combine metallic properties with the deformability of a liquid, which makes them promising candidates for a variety of applications. To broaden the range of physical and chemical properties, a variety of solid additives have been incorporated into the LMs in the literature. In contrast, only a handful of secondary fluids have been incorporated into LMs to create foams (gas-in-LM) or emulsions (liquid-in-LM). LM foams readily form through mixing of LM in air, facilitated by the formation of a native oxide on the LM. In contrast, LM breaks up into microdroplets when mixed with a secondary liquid such as silicone oil. Stable silicone oil-in-LM emulsions form only during mixing of the oil with LM foam. In this work, we investigate the fundamental mechanism underlying this process. We describe two possible microscale mechanisms for emulsion formation: (1) oil replacing air in the foam or (2) oil creating additional features in the foam. The associated foam-to-emulsion density difference demonstrates that emulsions predominantly form through the addition of oxide-covered silicone oil capsules to the LM foam. We demonstrate this through density and surface wettability measurements and multiscale imaging of LM foam mixed with varied silicone oil contents in air or nitrogen environments. We also demonstrate the presence of a continuous silicone oil film on the emulsion surface and that this oil film prevents the embrittlement of contacting aluminum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najam Ul Hassan Shah
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona85287, United States
| | - Shreyas Kanetkar
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona85287, United States
| | - Aastha Uppal
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona85287, United States
| | - Michael D Dickey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina27695, United States
| | - Robert Y Wang
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona85287, United States
| | - Konrad Rykaczewski
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona85287, United States
- Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona85287, United States
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17
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Crater ER, Tutika R, Moore RB, Bartlett MD. X-ray scattering as an effective tool for characterizing liquid metal composite morphology. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:7762-7772. [PMID: 36205260 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00796g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative analysis of particle size and size distribution is crucial in establishing structure-property relationships of composite materials. An emerging soft composite architecture involves dispersing droplets of liquid metal throughout an elastomer, enabling synergistic properties of metals and soft polymers. The structure of these materials is typically characterized through real-space microscopy and image analysis; however, these techniques rely on magnified images that may not represent the global-averaged size and distribution of the droplets. In this study, we utilize ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) as a reciprocal-space characterization technique that yields global-averaged dimensions of eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) alloy soft composites. The Unified fit and Monte Carlo scattering methods are applied to determine the particle size and size distributions of the liquid metal droplets in the composites and are shown to be in excellent agreement with results from real-space image analysis. Additionally, all methods indicate that the droplets are getting larger as they are introduced into composites, suggesting that the droplets are agglomerating or possibly coalescing during dispersion. This work demonstrates the viability of X-ray scattering to elucidate structural information about liquid metal droplets for material development for applications in soft robotics, soft electronics, and multifunctional materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R Crater
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Macromolecules Innovation Institute (MII), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Ravi Tutika
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Soft Materials and Structures Lab, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
- Macromolecules Innovation Institute (MII), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Robert B Moore
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Macromolecules Innovation Institute (MII), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Michael D Bartlett
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Soft Materials and Structures Lab, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
- Macromolecules Innovation Institute (MII), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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18
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Huang C, Wang X, Cao Q, Zhang D, Ding S, Xie H, Jiang JZ. Soft and Stretchable Liquid Metal-Elastomer Composite for Wearable Electronics. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:38196-38204. [PMID: 35951545 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c10025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Soft devices, especially capacitive stress (or strain) sensors, are important for applications, including wearable medical monitoring, electronic skin, and soft robotics. The incorporation of liquid metal particles (LMPs) into highly deformable elastomers as inclusions ameliorates the mechanical compliance caused by a rigid filler. The high dielectric constant and liquid feature of LMPs are suitable for soft sensors with high sensitivity and a large real-time dynamic detection range. Here, a class of LM-elastomer composites are introduced with elastic and high dielectric properties, making them uniquely suitable for the application of soft stress sensors. The prepared stretchable soft stress sensor can detect the bending degree of the finger, monitor physiological signals in real time, and distinguish the vibration from the pronunciation of different letters. The nanoscale X-ray computational tomography (nano-CT) measurements indeed detect the changes of LMPs under stress, i.e., LMPs in the matrix distribute from uneven to relatively uniform, agglomerate, and even connect each other to have a conduction path in the composition with high LMP contents, which cause the changes in the physical properties of devices under operation. The cognition of LMP changes in composites under stress is instructive for promoting their further applications in the field of soft devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- ChengHao Huang
- International Center for New-Structured Materials (ICNSM), State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - XiaoDong Wang
- International Center for New-Structured Materials (ICNSM), State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Qingping Cao
- International Center for New-Structured Materials (ICNSM), State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Dongxian Zhang
- International Center for New-Structured Materials (ICNSM), State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Shaoqing Ding
- International Center for New-Structured Materials (ICNSM), State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Honglan Xie
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China
| | - Jian-Zhong Jiang
- International Center for New-Structured Materials (ICNSM), State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
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19
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Influence of microstructural alterations of liquid metal and its interfacial interactions with rubber on multifunctional properties of soft composite materials. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 308:102752. [PMID: 36007286 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2022.102752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Liquid metal (LM)-based polymer composites are currently new breakthrough and emerging classes of soft multifunctional materials (SMMs) having immense transformative potential for soft technological applications. Currently, room-temperature LMs, mostly eutectic gallium‑indium and Galinstan alloys are used to integrate with soft polymer due to their outstanding properties such as high conductivity, fluidity, low adhesion, high surface tension, low cytotoxicity, etc. The microstructural alterations and interfacial interactions controlling the efficient integration of LMs with rubber are the most critical aspects for successful implementation of multifunctionality in the resulting material. In this review article, a fundamental understanding of microstructural alterations of LMs to the formation of well-defined percolating networks inside an insulating rubber matrix has been established by exploiting several existing theoretical and experimental studies. Furthermore, effects of the chemical modifications of an LM surface and its interfacial interactions on the compatibility between solid rubber and fluid filler phase have been discussed. The presence of thin oxide layer on the LM surface and the effects and challenges it poses to the adequate functionalization of these materials have been discussed. Plausible applications of SMMs in different soft matter technologies, like soft robotics, flexible electronics, soft actuators, sensors, etc. have been provided. Finally, the current technical challenges and further prospective to the development of SMMs using non‑silicone rubbers have been critically discussed. This review is anticipated to infuse a new impetus to the associated research communities for the development of next generation SMMs.
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20
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Kim S, Kim S, Hong K, Dickey MD, Park S. Liquid-Metal-Coated Magnetic Particles toward Writable, Nonwettable, Stretchable Circuit Boards, and Directly Assembled Liquid Metal-Elastomer Conductors. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:37110-37119. [PMID: 35930688 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c07618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Liquid metal is a promising conductor material for producing soft and stretchable circuit "boards" that can enable next-generation electronics by electrically connecting and mechanically supporting electronic components. While liquid metal in general can be used to fabricate soft and stretchable circuits, magnetic liquid metal is appealing because it can be used for self-healing electronics and actuators by external magnetic fields. Liquid metal can be rendered into particles that can then be used for sensors and catalysts through sonication. We used this feature to produce "novel" conductive and magnetic particles. Mixing ferromagnetic iron particles into the liquid metal (gallium) produces conductive ferrofluids that can be rendered into gallium-coated iron particles by sonication. The gallium shell of the particles is extremely soft, while the rigid iron core can induce high friction in response to mechanical pressure; thus, hand-sintering of the particles can be used to directly write the conductive traces when the particles are cast as a film on elastic substrates. The surface topography of the particles can be manipulated by forming GaOOH crystals through sonication in DI water, thus resulting in nonwettable circuit boards. These gallium-coated iron particles dispersed in uncured elastomer can be assembled to form conductive microwires with the application of magnetic fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seoyeon Kim
- Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Korea
| | - Sihyun Kim
- Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Korea
| | - Kyeongmin Hong
- Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Korea
| | - Michael D Dickey
- Department of Chemical Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Sungjune Park
- Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Korea
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21
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Haake A, Tutika R, Schloer GM, Bartlett MD, Markvicka EJ. On-Demand Programming of Liquid Metal-Composite Microstructures through Direct Ink Write 3D Printing. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2200182. [PMID: 35353948 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202200182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Soft, elastically deformable composites with liquid metal (LM) droplets can enable new generations of soft electronics, robotics, and reconfigurable structures. However, techniques to control local composite microstructure, which ultimately governs material properties and performance, is lacking. Here a direct ink writing technique is developed to program the LM microstructure (i.e., shape, orientation, and connectivity) on demand throughout elastomer composites. In contrast to inks with rigid particles that have fixed shape and size, it is shown that emulsion inks with LM fillers enable in situ control of microstructure. This enables filaments, films, and 3D structures with unique LM microstructures that are generated on demand and locked in during printing. This includes smooth and discrete transitions from spherical to needle-like droplets, curvilinear microstructures, geometrically complex embedded inclusion patterns, and connected LM networks. The printed materials are soft (modulus < 200 kPa), highly deformable (>600 % strain), and can be made locally insulating or electrically conductive using a single ink by controlling the process conditions. These capabilities are demonstrated by embedding elongated LM droplets in a soft heat sink, which rapidly dissipates heat from high-power LEDs. These programmable microstructures can enable new composite paradigms for emerging technologies that demand mechanical compliance with multifunctional response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Haake
- Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Smart Materials & Robotics Lab, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Ravi Tutika
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Soft Materials and Structures Lab, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
- Macromolecules Innovation Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Gwyneth M Schloer
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Soft Materials and Structures Lab, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Michael D Bartlett
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Soft Materials and Structures Lab, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
- Macromolecules Innovation Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Eric J Markvicka
- Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Smart Materials & Robotics Lab, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
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22
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Bury E, Koh AS. Multimodal Deformation of Liquid Metal Multimaterial Composites as Stretchable, Dielectric Materials for Capacitive Pressure Sensing. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:13678-13691. [PMID: 35258947 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c21734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Traditional electronic devices are composed of rigid materials and components that tend to be unsuitable for soft robotic and stretchable electronic applications, such as wearable or continuous pressure sensing. However, deformable materials have the potential to improve upon traditional devices through enhanced sensitivity and responsiveness, better conformability and biocompatibility at the human-machine interface, and greater durability. This work presents deformable composite materials composed of the gallium-indium-tin alloy galinstan (GaInSn) that combines the conductivity of a metal and the intrinsic deformability of a liquid. Dispersing galinstan in an elastomer allows for the formation of deformable dielectric materials that have tunable mechanical and electrical behavior, for example, modulus and relative permittivity. Galinstan composites have been shown previously to have a minimal modulus impact on the elastomer but concurrently achieve impressive dielectric performance. However, galinstan dispersions can be costly and face challenges of mechanical and electrical reliability. Thereby, this work investigates multimaterial composites composed of galinstan and a rigid filler, either iron or barium titanate, with respect to morphology, mechanical behavior, dielectric behavior, and pressure sensing performance for the purpose of achieving a balance between a low modulus and superior electrical performance. By combining galinstan and rigid fillers, it was found that the mechanical and electrical properties, such as modulus, permittivity, loss behavior, sensitivity, and linearity of the multimaterial composites can be improved by tuning filler formulation. This suggests that these dielectric materials can be used for sensing applications that can be precisely calibrated to specific material properties and the needs of the user. These deformable multimaterial composites, found to be stretchable and highly responsive in sensing applications, will expand the current mechanical abilities of deformable dielectric materials to improve soft robotic and stretchable electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Bury
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, United States
| | - Amanda S Koh
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, United States
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23
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Guymon GG, Malakooti MH. Multifunctional liquid metal polymer composites. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20210867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory G. Guymon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
- Institute for Nano‐Engineered Systems University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Mohammad H. Malakooti
- Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
- Institute for Nano‐Engineered Systems University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
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24
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Krings EJ, Zhang H, Sarin S, Shield JE, Ryu S, Markvicka EJ. Lightweight, Thermally Conductive Liquid Metal Elastomer Composite with Independently Controllable Thermal Conductivity and Density. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2104762. [PMID: 34723427 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202104762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Lightweight and elastically deformable soft materials that are thermally conductive are critical for emerging applications in wearable computing, soft robotics, and thermoregulatory garments. To overcome the fundamental heat transport limitations in soft materials, room temperature liquid metal (LM) has been dispersed in elastomer that results in soft and deformable materials with unprecedented thermal conductivity. However, the high density of LMs (>6 g cm-3 ) and the typically high loading (⩾85 wt%) required to achieve the desired properties contribute to the high density of these elastomer composites, which can be problematic for large-area, weight-sensitive applications. Here, the relationship between the properties of the LM filler and elastomer composite is systematically studied. Experiments reveal that a multiphase LM inclusion with a low-density phase can achieve independent control of the density and thermal conductivity of the elastomer composite. Quantitative design maps of composite density and thermal conductivity are constructed to rationally guide the selection of filler properties and material composition. This new multiphase material architecture provides a method to fine-tune material composition to independently control material and functional properties of soft materials for large-area and weight-sensitive applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan J Krings
- Smart Materials and Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Haipeng Zhang
- Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Suchit Sarin
- Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Jeffery E Shield
- Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Sangjin Ryu
- Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Eric J Markvicka
- Smart Materials and Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
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25
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Sheng Z, Ding Y, Li G, Fu C, Hou Y, Lyu J, Zhang K, Zhang X. Solid-Liquid Host-Guest Composites: The Marriage of Porous Solids and Functional Liquids. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2104851. [PMID: 34623698 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202104851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Composite materials can provide remarkable improvements over the individual constituents. Especially, with a liquid component introduced into a solid porous host, solid-liquid host-guest composites have recently come to the forefront with exceptional functions that promise them for a wealth of applications. Combining the unprecedented dynamic, transparent, omniphobic, self-healing, diffusive and adaptive nature of functional liquid with inherent solid host's property, solid-liquid host-guest composites can realize the ease of fabrication, long-term stability, and a broad spectrum of enhanced properties, which cannot be fully met by conventional solid-solid composites or liquid-liquid composites. This review presents the state-of-the-art progress in solid-liquid host-guest composites. Initially, the concept, classification, design strategy, as well as fabrication methods as a path forward to develop the composites are unraveled, and further it is elaborated on how the functionality of porous solid and functional liquid can be harnessed to create composites with a broad range of unique properties, especially, the optical, thermal, electric, mechanical, sorption, and separation properties. With these fascinating properties, a myriad of emerging applications such as optical devices, thermal management, electromagnetic-interference shielding, soft electronics, gas capture and release, and multiphase separations are touched upon, inspiring more frontier researches in materials science, interfacial chemistry, membrane science, engineering, and multidisciplinary. Finally, this review provides the perspective on the future directions of solid-liquid host-guest composites and assesses the challenges and opportunities ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhizhi Sheng
- Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Yi Ding
- Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Guangyong Li
- Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Chen Fu
- Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Yinglai Hou
- Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Jing Lyu
- Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Xuetong Zhang
- Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China
- Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, University College London, London, NW3 2PF, UK
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26
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Shah NUH, Kong W, Casey N, Kanetkar S, Wang RY, Rykaczewski K. Gallium oxide-stabilized oil in liquid metal emulsions. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:8269-8275. [PMID: 34397076 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm00982f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Gallium based liquid metals (LM) have prospective biomedical, stretchable electronics, soft robotics, and energy storage applications, and are being widely adopted as thermal interface materials. The danger of gallium corroding most metals used in microelectronics requires the cumbersome addition of "barrier" layers or LM break-up into droplets within an inert matrix such as silicone oil. Such LM-in-oil emulsions are stabilized by native oxide on the droplets but have decreased thermal performance. Here we show that mixing of the silicone oil into an LM-air foam yields emulsions with inverted phases. We investigate the stability of these oil-in-LM emulsions through a range of processing times and oil viscosities, and characterize the impact of these parameters on the materials' structure and thermal property relationships. We demonstrate that the emulsion with 40 vol% of 10 cSt silicone oil provides a unique thermal management material with a 10 W m-1 K-1 thermal conductivity and an exterior lubricant thin film that completely prevents corrosion of contacting aluminum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najam Ul Hassan Shah
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
| | - Wilson Kong
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
| | - Nathan Casey
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
| | - Shreyas Kanetkar
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
| | - Robert Y Wang
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
| | - Konrad Rykaczewski
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
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Peng S, Yu Y, Wu S, Wang CH. Conductive Polymer Nanocomposites for Stretchable Electronics: Material Selection, Design, and Applications. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:43831-43854. [PMID: 34515471 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c15014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Stretchable electronics that can elongate elastically as well as flex are crucial to a wide range of emerging technologies, such as wearable medical devices, electronic skin, and soft robotics. Critical to stretchable electronics is their ability to withstand large mechanical strain without failure while retaining their electrical conduction properties, a feat significantly beyond traditional metals and silicon-based semiconductors. Herein, we present a review of the recent advances in stretchable conductive polymer nanocomposites with exceptional stretchability and electrical properties, which have the potential to transform a wide range of applications, including wearable sensors for biophysical signals, stretchable conductors and electrodes, and deformable energy-harvesting and -storage devices. Critical to achieving these stretching properties are the judicious selection and hybridization of nanomaterials, novel microstructure designs, and facile fabrication processes, which are the focus of this Review. To highlight the potentials of conductive nanocomposites, a summary of some recent important applications is presented, including COVID-19 remote monitoring, connected health, electronic skin for augmented intelligence, and soft robotics. Finally, perspectives on future challenges and new research opportunities are also presented and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhua Peng
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Yuyan Yu
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Shuying Wu
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Chun-Hui Wang
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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Uppal A, Kong W, Rana A, Wang RY, Rykaczewski K. Enhancing Thermal Transport in Silicone Composites via Bridging Liquid Metal Fillers with Reactive Metal Co-Fillers and Matrix Viscosity Tuning. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:43348-43355. [PMID: 34491735 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c11275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Polymer matrix composites containing room temperature liquid metal (LM) microdroplets offer a unique set of thermo-mechanical characteristics that makes them attractive candidates for high performance thermal interface materials. However, to achieve the desired level of the composite thermal conductivity, effective bridging of such fillers into interconnected percolation networks needs to be induced. Thermal percolation of the LM microdroplets requires two physical barriers to be overcome. First, the LM microdroplets must directly contact each other through the polymer matrix. Second, the native oxide shell on the LM microdroplet must also be ruptured. In this work, we demonstrate that both physical barriers can be penetrated to induce ample bridging of the LM microdroplets and thereby achieve higher thermal conductivity composites. We accomplish this through a synergistic combination of solid silver and LM fillers, tuning of the silicone oil "matrix" viscosity, and sample compression. We selected silver as the solid additive because it rapidly alloys with gallium to form microscale needles that could act as additional paths that aid in connecting the LM droplets. We systematically explore the impact of the composition (filler type, volume fraction, and matrix oil viscosity) and applied pressure on the thermal conductivity and multiscale structure of these composites. We reveal the microscopic mechanism underlying the macroscopic experimental trends and also identify an optimal composition of the multiphase Ag-LM-Silicone oil composite for thermal applications. The identified design knobs offer path for developing tunable LM-based polymer composites for microelectronics cooling, biomedical applications, and flexible electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aastha Uppal
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
- Intel Corporation, 5000 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler, Arizona 85226, United States
| | - Wilson Kong
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Ashish Rana
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Robert Y Wang
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Konrad Rykaczewski
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
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Li Z, Guo Y, Zong Y, Li K, Wang S, Cao H, Teng C. Ga Based Particles, Alloys and Composites: Fabrication and Applications. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 11:2246. [PMID: 34578561 PMCID: PMC8471900 DOI: 10.3390/nano11092246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Liquid metal (LM) materials, including pure gallium (Ga) LM, eutectic alloys and their composites with organic polymers and inorganic nanoparticles, are cutting-edge functional materials owing to their outstanding electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, extraordinary mechanical compliance, deformability and excellent biocompatibility. The unique properties of LM-based materials at room temperatures can overcome the drawbacks of the conventional electronic devices, particularly high thermal, electrical conductivities and their fluidic property, which would open tremendous opportunities for the fundamental research and practical applications of stretchable and wearable electronic devices. Therefore, research interest has been increasingly devoted to the fabrication methodologies of LM nanoparticles and their functional composites. In this review, we intend to present an overview of the state-of-art protocols for the synthesis of Ga-based materials, to introduce their potential applications in the fields ranging from wearable electronics, energy storage batteries and energy harvesting devices to bio-applications, and to discuss challenges and opportunities in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Li
- Institute of Marine Biomedicine, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Shenzhen 518055, China; (Z.L.); (K.L.); (S.W.)
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yiming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China; (Y.G.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yufen Zong
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China; (Y.G.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Kai Li
- Institute of Marine Biomedicine, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Shenzhen 518055, China; (Z.L.); (K.L.); (S.W.)
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- Institute of Marine Biomedicine, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Shenzhen 518055, China; (Z.L.); (K.L.); (S.W.)
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Hai Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China; (Y.G.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Chao Teng
- Institute of Marine Biomedicine, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Shenzhen 518055, China; (Z.L.); (K.L.); (S.W.)
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Wang S, Zhu Z, Ma C, Qiao R, Yang C, Xu RX, Si T. Generation of Nonspherical Liquid Metal Microparticles with Tunable Shapes Exhibiting an Electrostatic-Responsive Performance. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:16677-16687. [PMID: 33813828 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c01026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Nonspherical liquid metal microparticles (NLMs) show extraordinary potential in various applications due to their multifunctional and structural advantages. To one-step-produce shaped NLMs with high efficiency, high controllability, and free of template, a facile microfluidic strategy named rotary flow shearing (RFS) is reported. A high-speed viscous shearing flow is provided by two counter-rotating rotors in the carrier fluid, inducing continuous pinch-off of liquid metal flowing from a capillary tube positioned in face of the slit between two rotors. The real-time oxidation realizes the rapid solidification of the pinching neck and the liquid metal surface during the RFS process, resulting in massive NLMs. Different from other microfluidic methods, the RFS enables tunable shapes of NLMs, especially for working materials at high viscosities. The collected NLMs exhibit special electrostatic-responsive performances including translation, rotation, reciprocation, and lining up under the manipulation of an external electric field. Such NLMs can be promisingly used for the construction of novel micromotors and soft electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Wang
- Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Zhiqiang Zhu
- Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Canzhen Ma
- Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Ran Qiao
- Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Chaoyu Yang
- Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Ronald X Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Ting Si
- Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
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Ochirkhuyag N, Matsuda R, Song Z, Nakamura F, Endo T, Ota H. Liquid metal-based nanocomposite materials: fabrication technology and applications. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:2113-2135. [PMID: 33465221 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr07479a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Research on liquid metals has been steadily garnering more interest in recent times, especially in flexible electronics applications because of their properties like possessing high conductivity and being liquid state at room temperature. The unique properties afforded by such materials at low temperatures can compensate for the limitations of stretchable electronic devices, particularly robustness and their fluidic property, which can enhance the flexibility and deformation of these devices. Therefore, interest in liquid-metal nanoparticles and liquid metals with nanocomposites has enabled research into their fabrication technologies as well as utilisation in fields such as chemistry, polymer engineering, computational modelling, and nanotechnology. In particular, in flexible and stretchable electronic device applications, the research attention is focused on the fabrication methodologies of liquid-metal nanoparticles and liquid metals containing nanocomposites. This review attempts to summarise the available stretchable and flexible electronics applications that use liquid-metal nanoparticles as well as liquid metals with nanomaterial additives.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ryosuke Matsuda
- Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Zihao Song
- Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Fumika Nakamura
- Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Takuma Endo
- Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroki Ota
- Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
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Bark H, Lee PS. Surface modification of liquid metal as an effective approach for deformable electronics and energy devices. Chem Sci 2021; 12:2760-2777. [PMID: 34164040 PMCID: PMC8179365 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc05310d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The fields of flexible or stretchable electronics and energy devices, reconfigurable and compliant soft robotics, wearable e-textiles or health-care devices have paid significant attention to the need of deformable conductive electrodes due to its critical role in device performances. Gallium-based liquid metals, such as the eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) being an electrically conductive liquid phase at room temperature, have attracted immense interests as a promising candidate for deformable conductor. However, in the case of bulk liquid metal, there are several limitations such as the need of encapsulation, dispersion in a polymer matrix, or accurate patterning. For these reasons, the preparation of liquid metal particles in harnessing the properties in a non-bulk form and surface modification is crucial for the success of incorporating liquid metal into functional devices. Herein, we discuss the current progress in chemical surface modification and interfacial manipulations of liquid metal particles. The physical and chemical properties of the surface modification-assisted liquid metal polymer composite are also reviewed. Lastly, the applications of the surface-modified liquid metal particles such as flexible electrode, soft robotics, energy storage or harvester, thermal conductor, dielectric sensor, and bioelectronics are discussed, and the corresponding perspectives of deformable electronics and energy devices are provided. In particular, we focus on the functionalization method or requirement of liquid metal particles in each application. The challenging issues and outlook on the applications of surface-modified liquid metal particles are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunwoo Bark
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University 50 Nanyang Avenue Singapore 639798
| | - Pooi See Lee
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University 50 Nanyang Avenue Singapore 639798
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Jia LC, Jia XX, Sun WJ, Zhang YP, Xu L, Yan DX, Su HJ, Li ZM. Stretchable Liquid Metal-Based Conductive Textile for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:53230-53238. [PMID: 33179903 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c14397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Conductive textiles (CTs) are promising electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. Nevertheless, limited stretchability and poor reliability restrict their potential applications in stretchable electronic devices because of the rigid conductive networks. Herein, a highly stretchable and reliable CT is developed for effective EMI shielding by designing a deformable liquid-metal (LM) coating and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) protective layer. The resultant PDMS-LM/Textile exhibits an outstanding EMI shielding efficiency (EMI SE) of 72.6 dB at a thickness of only 0.35 mm while maintaining EMI SEs of 66.0 and 52.4 dB under strains of 30 and 50%, respectively. The corresponding EMI SEs hold 91.7 and 80.3% retention after 5000 stretching-releasing cycles, respectively. The superior and durable EMI SE should be ascribed to the perfect connectivity and good deformability of conductive LM networks. Moreover, the LM coating has a robust fastness to the textile substrate, without any obvious decrease in EMI SE after 10 min of ultrasonic treatment and 100 peeling cycles because of the protective effect of the PDMS layer. This work provides a novel route to developing highly stretchable CTs for advanced EMI shielding applications, especially in the field of highly stretchable electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Chuan Jia
- College of Electrical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Xian-Xiang Jia
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Wen-Jin Sun
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Yun-Peng Zhang
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Ling Xu
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Ding-Xiang Yan
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Hai-Jun Su
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Zhong-Ming Li
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
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Barron EJ, Peterson RS, Lazarus N, Bartlett MD. Mechanically Cloaked Multiphase Magnetic Elastomer Soft Composites for Wearable Wireless Power Transfer. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:50909-50917. [PMID: 33140643 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c15909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Wearable electronics allow for new and immersive experiences between technology and the human body, but conventional devices are made from rigid functional components that lack the necessary compliance to safely interact with human tissue. Recently, liquid inclusions have been incorporated into elastomer composites to produce functional materials with high extensibility and ultrasoft mechanical responses. While these materials have shown high thermal and electrical conductivity, there has been an absence of research into compliant magnetic materials through the incorporation of magnetic fluids. Compliant magnetic materials are important for applications in soft matter engineering including sensing, actuation, and power transfer for soft electronics and robotics. In this work, we establish a new class of highly functional soft materials with advanced magnetic and mechanical properties by dispersing magnetic colloidal suspensions as compliant fluid inclusions into soft elastomers. Significantly, the rigid magnetic particles are encapsulated by the fluid. This mechanically cloaks the solid particles and enables a fluid-like mechanical response while imparting high magnetic permeability to the composite. This microstructure reduces the modulus of the composite below that of the initial elastomer to <40 kPa while increasing the permeability by over 100% to greater than 2. We demonstrate the functionality of these materials through conformable magnetic backplanes, which enables a completely soft, coupled inductor system capable of transferring power up to 100% strain and wearable devices for wireless power transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward J Barron
- Macromolecules Innovation Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Soft Materials and Structures Lab, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Ray S Peterson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Nathan Lazarus
- Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, Maryland 20783, United States
| | - Michael D Bartlett
- Macromolecules Innovation Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Soft Materials and Structures Lab, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
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Zhang M, Wang X, Huang Z, Rao W. Liquid Metal Based Flexible and Implantable Biosensors. BIOSENSORS 2020; 10:E170. [PMID: 33182535 PMCID: PMC7696291 DOI: 10.3390/bios10110170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Biosensors are the core elements for obtaining significant physiological information from living organisms. To better sense life information, flexible biosensors and implantable sensors that are highly compatible with organisms are favored by researchers. Moreover, materials for preparing a new generation of flexible sensors have also received attention. Liquid metal is a liquid-state metallic material with a low melting point at or around room temperature. Owing to its high electrical conductivity, low toxicity, and superior fluidity, liquid metal is emerging as a highly desirable candidate in biosensors. This paper is dedicated to reviewing state-of-the-art applications in biosensors that are expounded from seven aspects, including pressure sensor, strain sensor, gas sensor, temperature sensor, electrical sensor, optical sensor, and multifunctional sensor, respectively. The fundamental scientific and technological challenges lying behind these recommendations are outlined. Finally, the perspective of liquid metal-based biosensors is present, which stimulates the upcoming design of biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingkuan Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Beijing 100190, China; (M.Z.); (X.W.)
- Beijing Key Lab of CryoBiomedical Engineering and Key Lab of Cryogenics, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Beijing 100190, China; (M.Z.); (X.W.)
- Beijing Key Lab of CryoBiomedical Engineering and Key Lab of Cryogenics, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhiping Huang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BU, UK;
| | - Wei Rao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Beijing 100190, China; (M.Z.); (X.W.)
- Beijing Key Lab of CryoBiomedical Engineering and Key Lab of Cryogenics, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Wei Q, Sun M, Wang Z, Yan J, Yuan R, Liu T, Majidi C, Matyjaszewski K. Surface Engineering of Liquid Metal Nanodroplets by Attachable Diblock Copolymers. ACS NANO 2020; 14:9884-9893. [PMID: 32649179 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c02720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Liquid metal (LM) micro/nano droplets have promising applications in various fields such as flexible electronics, catalysis, and soft composites as well as biomedicines. However, the preparation of highly stable LM nanodroplets suspension based on eutectic gallium/indium (EGaIn) alloys is still challenging. Herein, we report a general and robust strategy to fabricate EGaIn nanodroplets stabilized by polymer brushes (polymer brushes/EGaIn nanodroplets) via in situ attachment of well-defined diblock copolymers with short poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) anchoring segments. Under ultrasonication, the anchoring PAA block is in situ attached onto the gallium oxide "skin" layer of EGaIn nanodroplets to form polymer brushes. The attachable diblock copolymer surfactants allow for highly efficient formation of EGaIn nanodroplets in high yield and with narrow size distribution. The polymer brushes/EGaIn nanodroplets contain very low fractions of attached polymer (<1 wt %) and exhibit high colloidal stability (>30 days) and good redispersibility. Precise control of polymer architecture by atom-transfer radical polymerization was employed to prepare various block copolymers for suspensions in a variety of solvents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiangbing Wei
- Key Laboratory of Eco-functional Polymer Materials of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Mingkang Sun
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Zongyu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Jiajun Yan
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Rui Yuan
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Tong Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Carmel Majidi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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Neumann TV, Facchine EG, Leonardo B, Khan S, Dickey MD. Direct write printing of a self-encapsulating liquid metal-silicone composite. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:6608-6618. [PMID: 32613217 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00803f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Silicone composites featuring inclusions of liquid metal particles are soft and stretchable materials with useful electric, dielectric, mechanical, and thermal properties. Until recently, these materials have primarily been cast as films. This work examines the possibility of using uncured liquid metal-elastomer (LME) composites as inks for direct writing. The liquid metal inclusions act as rheological modifiers for the silicone, forming a gel-structure that can be extruded from a nozzle and hold its shape after printing. Additionally, by tuning the particle size, larger particles in the printed structures can settle to form metal-rich regions at the bottom of the structures, encased by metal-depleted (insulating) regions. Using mechanical force, the liquid metal-rich interior can be rendered conductive by sintering without affecting the insulating exterior. Thus, it is possible to print this soft and stretchable material while creating conductors with self-insulating shells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor V Neumann
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
| | - Emily G Facchine
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
| | - Brian Leonardo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
| | - Saad Khan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
| | - Michael D Dickey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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Malakooti MH, Bockstaller MR, Matyjaszewski K, Majidi C. Liquid metal nanocomposites. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2020; 2:2668-2677. [PMID: 36132412 PMCID: PMC9419082 DOI: 10.1039/d0na00148a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Liquid metal (LM) has attracted tremendous interest over the past decade for its enabling combination of high electrical and thermal conductivity and low mechanical compliance and viscosity. Efforts to harness LM in electronics, robotics, and biomedical applications have largely involved methods to encapsulate the liquid so that it can support functionality without leaking or smearing. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in LM "nanocomposites" in which either liquid metal is mixed with metallic nanoparticles or nanoscale droplets of liquid metal are suspended within a soft polymer matrix. Both of these material systems represent an important step towards utilizing liquid metal for breakthrough applications. In this minireview, we present a brief overview of recent progress over the past few years in methods to synthesize LM nanomaterials and utilize them as transducers for sensing, actuation, and energy harvesting. In particular, we focus on techniques for stable synthesis of LM nanodroplets, suspension of nanodroplets within various matrix materials, and methods for incorporating metallic nanoparticles within an LM matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad H Malakooti
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington Seattle WA 91895 USA
| | - Michael R Bockstaller
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh PA 15213 USA
| | | | - Carmel Majidi
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh PA 15213 USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh PA 15213 USA
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Kong W, Shah NUH, Neumann TV, Vong MH, Kotagama P, Dickey MD, Wang RY, Rykaczewski K. Oxide-mediated mechanisms of gallium foam generation and stabilization during shear mixing in air. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:5801-5805. [PMID: 32436530 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00503g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Foaming of gallium-based liquid metals improves their processability and-seemingly in contrast to processing of other metal foams-can be achieved through shear-mixing in air without addition of solid microparticles. Resolving this discrepancy, systematic processing-structure-property characterization demonstrates that many crumpled oxide particles are generated prior to air bubble accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilson Kong
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
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40
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Wen F, Sun Z, He T, Shi Q, Zhu M, Zhang Z, Li L, Zhang T, Lee C. Machine Learning Glove Using Self-Powered Conductive Superhydrophobic Triboelectric Textile for Gesture Recognition in VR/AR Applications. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2020; 7:2000261. [PMID: 32714750 PMCID: PMC7375248 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202000261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The rapid progress of Internet of things (IoT) technology raises an imperative demand on human machine interfaces (HMIs) which provide a critical linkage between human and machines. Using a glove as an intuitive and low-cost HMI can expediently track the motions of human fingers, resulting in a straightforward communication media of human-machine interactions. When combining several triboelectric textile sensors and proper machine learning technique, it has great potential to realize complex gesture recognition with the minimalist-designed glove for the comprehensive control in both real and virtual space. However, humidity or sweat may negatively affect the triboelectric output as well as the textile itself. Hence, in this work, a facile carbon nanotubes/thermoplastic elastomer (CNTs/TPE) coating approach is investigated in detail to achieve superhydrophobicity of the triboelectric textile for performance improvement. With great energy harvesting and human motion sensing capabilities, the glove using the superhydrophobic textile realizes a low-cost and self-powered interface for gesture recognition. By leveraging machine learning technology, various gesture recognition tasks are done in real time by using gestures to achieve highly accurate virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) controls including gun shooting, baseball pitching, and flower arrangement, with minimized effect from sweat during operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wen
- Department of Electrical & Computer EngineeringNational University of Singapore4 Engineering Drive 3Singapore117576Singapore
- National University of Singapore Suzhou Research Institute (NUSRI)Suzhou Industrial ParkSuzhou215123China
- Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMSNational University of Singapore5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
- Hybrid Integrated Flexible Electronic Systems (HIFES)5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
| | - Zhongda Sun
- Department of Electrical & Computer EngineeringNational University of Singapore4 Engineering Drive 3Singapore117576Singapore
- National University of Singapore Suzhou Research Institute (NUSRI)Suzhou Industrial ParkSuzhou215123China
- Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMSNational University of Singapore5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
- Hybrid Integrated Flexible Electronic Systems (HIFES)5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
| | - Tianyiyi He
- Department of Electrical & Computer EngineeringNational University of Singapore4 Engineering Drive 3Singapore117576Singapore
- National University of Singapore Suzhou Research Institute (NUSRI)Suzhou Industrial ParkSuzhou215123China
- Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMSNational University of Singapore5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
- Hybrid Integrated Flexible Electronic Systems (HIFES)5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
| | - Qiongfeng Shi
- Department of Electrical & Computer EngineeringNational University of Singapore4 Engineering Drive 3Singapore117576Singapore
- National University of Singapore Suzhou Research Institute (NUSRI)Suzhou Industrial ParkSuzhou215123China
- Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMSNational University of Singapore5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
- Hybrid Integrated Flexible Electronic Systems (HIFES)5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
| | - Minglu Zhu
- Department of Electrical & Computer EngineeringNational University of Singapore4 Engineering Drive 3Singapore117576Singapore
- National University of Singapore Suzhou Research Institute (NUSRI)Suzhou Industrial ParkSuzhou215123China
- Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMSNational University of Singapore5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
- Hybrid Integrated Flexible Electronic Systems (HIFES)5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
| | - Zixuan Zhang
- Department of Electrical & Computer EngineeringNational University of Singapore4 Engineering Drive 3Singapore117576Singapore
- National University of Singapore Suzhou Research Institute (NUSRI)Suzhou Industrial ParkSuzhou215123China
- Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMSNational University of Singapore5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
- Hybrid Integrated Flexible Electronic Systems (HIFES)5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
| | - Lianhui Li
- i‐Lab Suzhou Institute of Nano‐Tech and Nano‐BionicsChinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)Suzhou215123China
| | - Ting Zhang
- i‐Lab Suzhou Institute of Nano‐Tech and Nano‐BionicsChinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)Suzhou215123China
| | - Chengkuo Lee
- Department of Electrical & Computer EngineeringNational University of Singapore4 Engineering Drive 3Singapore117576Singapore
- National University of Singapore Suzhou Research Institute (NUSRI)Suzhou Industrial ParkSuzhou215123China
- Center for Intelligent Sensors and MEMSNational University of Singapore5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
- Hybrid Integrated Flexible Electronic Systems (HIFES)5 Engineering Drive 1Singapore117608Singapore
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41
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Hou Y, Zhang P, Wang D, Liu J, Rao W. Liquid Metal Hybrid Platform-Mediated Ice-Fire Dual Noninvasive Conformable Melanoma Therapy. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:27984-27993. [PMID: 32463667 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c06023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cryoablation and photothermal therapy are anticancer therapeutic strategies that destroy tumors by external energy intervention of achieving extremely low temperature and very high temperature in a short time. Compared to traditional surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, they have the advantages of being minimally invasive and having less side effects. However, single cryoablation or photothermal therapy itself has limited therapeutic accuracy, which greatly restricts its clinical application. There is still a common phenomenon that the energy transport at the tumor target site cannot be accurately controlled in space and time dimensions, resulting in limited thermal effect and difficulty to form a conformable treatment area, which will result in low targeted killing efficiency, and tumor cells will become residual and undergo metastasis and recurrence. Herein, a multimodal therapy of cryoablation combined with photothermal therapy was proposed. To further enhance the therapeutic performance, a liquid metal hybrid platform, which is composed of a high-thermal-conductivity liquid metal paste and high-photothermal-conversion-efficiency liquid metal nanoparticles, is mediated for cryoablation and photothermal therapy. Cold and heat synergistic effects are realized through this multimodal therapy. Due to the liquid metal hybrid platform, enhanced antitumor efficacy is achieved in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, the liquid metal hybrid platform-mediated dual therapy is totally noninvasive and does not show obvious systemic toxicity. Collectively, this study has first realized ice (cryoablation)-fire (photothermal therapy) dual noninvasive therapy by one liquid metal platform and demonstrated superior antitumor effect for melanoma treatment. This work explores a new promising multimodal cancer therapy strategy based on the liquid metal platform, which has great potential application in cancer treatment in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Hou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cryo-Biomedical Engineering, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Pengju Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cryo-Biomedical Engineering, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Dawei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cryo-Biomedical Engineering, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cryo-Biomedical Engineering, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Rao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cryo-Biomedical Engineering, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Lin Y, Genzer J, Dickey MD. Attributes, Fabrication, and Applications of Gallium-Based Liquid Metal Particles. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2020; 7:2000192. [PMID: 32596120 PMCID: PMC7312306 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202000192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
This work discusses the attributes, fabrication methods, and applications of gallium-based liquid metal particles. Gallium-based liquid metals combine metallic and fluidic properties at room temperature. Unlike mercury, which is toxic and has a finite vapor pressure, gallium possesses low toxicity and effectively zero vapor pressure at room temperature, which makes it amenable to many applications. A variety of fabrication methods produce liquid metal particles with variable sizes, ranging from nm to mm (which is the upper limit set by the capillary length). The liquid nature of gallium enables fabrication methods-such as microfluidics and sonication-that are not possible with solid materials. Gallium-based liquid metal particles possess several notable attributes, including a metal-metal oxide (liquid-solid) core-shell structure as well as the ability to self-heal, merge, and change shape. They also have unusual phase behavior that depends on the size of the particles. The particles have no known commercial applications, but they show promise for drug delivery, soft electronics, microfluidics, catalysis, batteries, energy harvesting, and composites. Existing challenges and future opportunities are discussed herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiliang Lin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNC27695‐7905USA
| | - Jan Genzer
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNC27695‐7905USA
| | - Michael D. Dickey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNC27695‐7905USA
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43
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Saborio MG, Cai S, Tang J, Ghasemian MB, Mayyas M, Han J, Christoe MJ, Peng S, Koshy P, Esrafilzadeh D, Jalili R, Wang CH, Kalantar-Zadeh K. Liquid Metal Droplet and Graphene Co-Fillers for Electrically Conductive Flexible Composites. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1903753. [PMID: 31565857 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201903753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal liquid metal alloys of gallium, with melting points below room temperature, are potential candidates for creating electrically conductive and flexible composites. However, inclusion of liquid metal micro- and nanodroplets into soft polymeric matrices requires a harsh auxiliary mechanical pressing to rupture the droplets to establish continuous pathways for high electrical conductivity. However, such a destructive strategy reduces the integrity of the composites. Here, this problem is solved by incorporating small loading of nonfunctionalized graphene flakes into the composites. The flakes introduce cavities that are filled with liquid metal after only relatively mild press-rolling (<0.1 MPa) to form electrically conductive continuous pathways within the polymeric matrix, while maintaining the integrity and flexibility of the composites. The composites are characterized to show that even very low graphene loadings (≈0.6 wt%) can achieve high electrical conductivity. The electrical conductance remains nearly constant, with changes less than 0.5%, even under a relatively high applied pressure of >30 kPa. The composites are used for forming flexible electrically-conductive tracks in electronic circuits with a self-healing property. The demonstrated application of co-fillers, together with liquid metal droplets, can be used for establishing electrically-conductive printable-composite tracks for future large-area flexible electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maricruz G Saborio
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Shengxiang Cai
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Jianbo Tang
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Mohammad B Ghasemian
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Mohannad Mayyas
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Jialuo Han
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Michael J Christoe
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Shuhua Peng
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Pramod Koshy
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Dorna Esrafilzadeh
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Rouhollah Jalili
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Chun H Wang
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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Kataruka A, Hutchens SB. PDMS polymerized high internal phase emulsions (polyHIPEs) with closed-cell, aqueous-filled microcavities. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:9665-9675. [PMID: 31728471 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm01732a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Emulsion templates can produce a wide range of unique microstructures via solidification of the continuous phase. Some of these structures result in unique, fluid-filled composites reminiscent of biological tissue when the templating droplets develop into closed-cell structures. However, the state-of-the-art falls short in replicating the mechanical and functional response of biological structures due to stiff, fragile, and bio-incompatible materials while lacking systematic processing parameters. This article describes the synthesis of high internal phase, closed-cell, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomeric foams which simultaneously achieve biocompatibility, mechanical robustness, flexibility, and selective permeability. Water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) stabilized by silica nano-particles (SNPs) provide the microstructural template, resulting in a >74% by volume aqueous phase (up to 82%). To overcome the prohibitive barrier to HIPE formation when using a mechanically-superior, but highly viscous commercial PDMS kit, we produce HIPE templates via centrifugation of low internal phase emulsions (LIPEs, <30% by volume dispersed phase). This oil phase crosslinks into an aqueous-filled (water + glycerol + NaCl) elastomeric composite. The composite's microstructural dependence on viscosity ratio, mixing speed, emulsifier concentration, and centrifugal force are systematically characterized. The resulting microstructured, fluid-filled elastomer composites exhibit mechanically robust and highly flexible behavior due to the excellent properties of the PDMS continuous phase.
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Kong W, Wang Z, Wang M, Manning KC, Uppal A, Green MD, Wang RY, Rykaczewski K. Oxide-Mediated Formation of Chemically Stable Tungsten-Liquid Metal Mixtures for Enhanced Thermal Interfaces. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2019; 31:e1904309. [PMID: 31523854 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201904309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Modern microelectronics and emerging technologies such as wearable devices and soft robotics require conformable and thermally conductive thermal interface materials to improve their performance and longevity. Gallium-based liquid metals (LMs) are promising candidates for these applications yet are limited by their moderate thermal conductivity, difficulty in surface-spreading, and pump-out issues. Incorporation of metallic particles into the LM can address these problems, but observed alloying processes shift the LM melting point and lead to undesirable formation of additional surface roughness. Here, these problems are addressed by introducing a mixture of tungsten microparticles dispersed within a LM matrix (LM-W) that exhibits two- to threefold enhanced thermal conductivity (62 ± 2.28 W m-1 K-1 for gallium and 57 ± 2.08 W m-1 K-1 for EGaInSn at a 40% filler volume mixing ratio) and liquid-to-paste transition for better surface application. It is shown that the formation of a nanometer-scale LM oxide in oxygen-rich environments allows highly nonwetting tungsten particles to mix into LMs. Using in situ imaging and particle dipping experimentation within a focused ion beam and scanning electron microscopy system, the oxide-assisted mechanism behind this wetting process is revealed. Furthermore, since tungsten does not undergo room-temperature alloying with gallium, it is shown that LM-W remains a chemically stable mixture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilson Kong
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Zhongyong Wang
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Meng Wang
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Kenneth C Manning
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Aastha Uppal
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Matthew D Green
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Robert Y Wang
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Konrad Rykaczewski
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
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Kim T, Kim DM, Lee BJ, Lee J. Soft and Deformable Sensors Based on Liquid Metals. SENSORS 2019; 19:s19194250. [PMID: 31574955 PMCID: PMC6806167 DOI: 10.3390/s19194250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Liquid metals are one of the most interesting and promising materials due to their electrical, fluidic, and thermophysical properties. With the aid of their exceptional deformable natures, liquid metals are now considered to be electrically conductive materials for sensors and actuators, major constituent transducers in soft robotics, that can experience and withstand significant levels of mechanical deformation. For the upcoming era of wearable electronics and soft robotics, we would like to offer an up-to-date overview of liquid metal-based soft (thus significantly deformable) sensors mainly but not limited to researchers in relevant fields. This paper will thoroughly highlight and critically review recent literature on design, fabrication, characterization, and application of liquid metal devices and suggest scientific and engineering routes towards liquid metal sensing devices of tomorrow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taeyeong Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea (D.-m.K.)
- Center for Extreme Thermal Physics and Manufacturing, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Dong-min Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea (D.-m.K.)
- Center for Extreme Thermal Physics and Manufacturing, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Bong Jae Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea (D.-m.K.)
- Center for Extreme Thermal Physics and Manufacturing, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Correspondence: (B.J.L.); (J.L.); Tel.:+82-42-350-3212 (J.L.)
| | - Jungchul Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea (D.-m.K.)
- Center for Extreme Thermal Physics and Manufacturing, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Correspondence: (B.J.L.); (J.L.); Tel.:+82-42-350-3212 (J.L.)
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