Recently, the research group of Professor Zhang Jiuyang of Southeast University has made progress in the field of liquid metal gel research. The research team successfully prepared a liquid metal polymer gel functional material by using the fluidity of liquid metal and its catalysis of radicals. The material has excellent elastic properties and can be used as a new generation force sensor.
Liquid metal is a kind of low melting point metal simple substance or alloy, which can form liquid eutectic at room temperature. Considering that liquid metals have the properties of both fluids and metal conductors, liquid metals can be used as functional flow fillers to achieve the coexistence of flexibility and high conductivity of polymer functional materials, making such materials possible as potential electronic flexible devices. Previous papers reported that microchannels were prepared in advance by lithography and other methods, and then liquid metal was injected into the microchannels to make resistance and capacitance sensors. However, this method is very costly and is based on the deformation of the micropores only, which limits the mechanical properties and electrical sensing capabilities of the material.
The scientific research team successfully made liquid metal hydrogel functional materials in 20 seconds by using liquid metal as a flowing conductive filler and utilizing its catalytic function on free radicals. Different from the previous liquid metal sensors in the microchannels mode, due to the anchoring effect between the oxide layer on the surface of the liquid metal and the polar group of the monomer, the liquid metal was uniformly dispersed in the system, and the liquid was found The metal exhibits catalytic activity by reacting with a peroxide initiator. Due to the fluid properties and high electrical conductivity of liquid metal, liquid metal gives the material super-long tensile properties (elongation at break = 1500%), good mechanical and electrical stability. In addition, due to the asymmetric deformation of the liquid metal in the material, the material can identify the direction of movement of the object on its surface, can identify an individual's electronic signature and serve as a potential electronic skin.