Fully solution processed liquid metal features as highly conductive and ultrastretchable conductors
Abstract Liquid metal represents a highly conductive and inherently deformable conductor for the development of stretchable electronics. The widespread implementations of liquid metal towards functional sensors and circuits are currently hindered by the lack of a facile and scalable patterning appro...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2021-09-01
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| Series: | npj Flexible Electronics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-021-00123-x |
| _version_ | 1818431697931206656 |
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| author | Hangyu Zhu Shaolei Wang Menghu Zhang Tingyu Li Gaohua Hu Desheng Kong |
| author_facet | Hangyu Zhu Shaolei Wang Menghu Zhang Tingyu Li Gaohua Hu Desheng Kong |
| author_sort | Hangyu Zhu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Liquid metal represents a highly conductive and inherently deformable conductor for the development of stretchable electronics. The widespread implementations of liquid metal towards functional sensors and circuits are currently hindered by the lack of a facile and scalable patterning approach. In this study, we report a fully solution-based process to generate patterned features of the liquid metal conductor. The entire process is carried out under ambient conditions and is generally compatible with various elastomeric substrates. The as-prepared liquid metal feature exhibits high resolution (100 μm), excellent electrical conductivity (4.15 × 104S cm−1), ultrahigh stretchability (1000% tensile strain), and mechanical durability. The practical suitability is demonstrated by the heterogeneous integration of light-emitting diode (LED) chips with liquid metal interconnects for a stretchable and wearable LED array. The solution-based technique reported here is the enabler for the facile patterning of liquid metal features at low cost, which may find a broad range of applications in emerging fields of epidermal sensors, wearable heaters, advanced prosthetics, and soft robotics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:53:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5c788dc7b274a9e81f6f6eb0bd03000 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2397-4621 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:53:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Flexible Electronics |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5c788dc7b274a9e81f6f6eb0bd030002022-12-21T22:55:18ZengNature Portfolionpj Flexible Electronics2397-46212021-09-01511810.1038/s41528-021-00123-xFully solution processed liquid metal features as highly conductive and ultrastretchable conductorsHangyu Zhu0Shaolei Wang1Menghu Zhang2Tingyu Li3Gaohua Hu4Desheng Kong5College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing UniversityCollege of Engineering and Applied Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing UniversityCollege of Engineering and Applied Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing UniversityCollege of Engineering and Applied Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing UniversityCollege of Engineering and Applied Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing UniversityCollege of Engineering and Applied Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing UniversityAbstract Liquid metal represents a highly conductive and inherently deformable conductor for the development of stretchable electronics. The widespread implementations of liquid metal towards functional sensors and circuits are currently hindered by the lack of a facile and scalable patterning approach. In this study, we report a fully solution-based process to generate patterned features of the liquid metal conductor. The entire process is carried out under ambient conditions and is generally compatible with various elastomeric substrates. The as-prepared liquid metal feature exhibits high resolution (100 μm), excellent electrical conductivity (4.15 × 104S cm−1), ultrahigh stretchability (1000% tensile strain), and mechanical durability. The practical suitability is demonstrated by the heterogeneous integration of light-emitting diode (LED) chips with liquid metal interconnects for a stretchable and wearable LED array. The solution-based technique reported here is the enabler for the facile patterning of liquid metal features at low cost, which may find a broad range of applications in emerging fields of epidermal sensors, wearable heaters, advanced prosthetics, and soft robotics.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-021-00123-x |
| spellingShingle | Hangyu Zhu Shaolei Wang Menghu Zhang Tingyu Li Gaohua Hu Desheng Kong Fully solution processed liquid metal features as highly conductive and ultrastretchable conductors npj Flexible Electronics |
| title | Fully solution processed liquid metal features as highly conductive and ultrastretchable conductors |
| title_full | Fully solution processed liquid metal features as highly conductive and ultrastretchable conductors |
| title_fullStr | Fully solution processed liquid metal features as highly conductive and ultrastretchable conductors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fully solution processed liquid metal features as highly conductive and ultrastretchable conductors |
| title_short | Fully solution processed liquid metal features as highly conductive and ultrastretchable conductors |
| title_sort | fully solution processed liquid metal features as highly conductive and ultrastretchable conductors |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-021-00123-x |
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