Yunnan Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Materials and Technology, International Joint Research Center for Optoelectronic and Energy Materials, School of Materials and Energy, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming, 650500, China.
Adv Mater. 2023 Jun;35(26):e2210515. doi: 10.1002/adma.202210515. Epub 2023 May 24.
Liquid metals (LMs) are emerging as new functional materials with rather unique physical or chemical behaviors. They are generally safe and nontoxic, have high boiling points, reflectivities, good thermal and electrical conductivities, flexibility, fluidity, self-healing capability and remain in liquid state at room temperature. However, the further applications of LMs are limited by their single-color physical appearance, such as working in the situations with imposed stringent requirements for color and aesthetics. Recently, the color and fluorescence functionalization of LMs have overcome many conventional technical bottlenecks and opened significant potential for emerging applications in numerous fields owing to their rich colors and unique liquid structure. In this review, the recent developments in the optical properties, color and fluorescence effects of LMs are comprehensively investigated. The synthesis, structures, properties, chromogenic mechanisms, and potential photoelectric applications of colorful LMs are systematically analyzed and compared. The effectiveness and characteristics of colorful LMs induced by coating, mixing, compounding, surface modification, external stimuli are provided, aiming to establish a potential system for the synthesis and practices of colorful LMs. Finally, the challenges and prospects in the field have also been identified and explained to preferably guide further scientific and technical research in the coming time.
液态金属（LMs）作为具有独特物理或化学性能的新型功能材料而崭露头角。它们通常安全无毒，具有高沸点、反射率、良好的热导率和电导率、柔韧性、流动性、自修复能力以及在室温下保持液态。然而，由于其单一颜色的物理外观，LMs 的进一步应用受到限制，例如在对颜色和美学有严格要求的情况下工作。最近，由于其丰富的颜色和独特的液体结构，LMs 的颜色和荧光功能化克服了许多传统技术瓶颈，为新兴应用领域开辟了巨大的潜力。在本文中，全面研究了 LMs 的光学性质、颜色和荧光效应的最新进展。系统分析和比较了彩色 LMs 的合成、结构、性质、显色机制和潜在光电应用。提供了通过涂层、混合、复合、表面改性、外部刺激诱导彩色 LMs 的有效性和特性，旨在建立彩色 LMs 的合成和实践的潜在体系。最后，还确定并解释了该领域的挑战和前景，以更好地指导未来一段时间的科学和技术研究。
