Lin Yong, Wang Hao, Qiu Weijie, Ye Chenyang, Kong Desheng
College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2024 Aug 21;16(33):43083-43092. doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c10541. Epub 2024 Aug 8.
Flexible and stretchable electronics rely on compliant conductors as essential building materials. However, these materials are susceptible to wear and tear, leading to degradation over time. In response to this concern, self-healing conductors have been developed to prolong the lifespan of functional devices. These conductors can autonomously restore their properties following damage. Conventional self-healing conductors typically comprise solid conductive fillers and healing agents dispersed within polymer matrices. However, the solid additives increase the stiffness and reduce the stretchability of the resulting composites. There is growing interest in utilizing gallium-based liquid metal alloys due to their exceptional electrical conductivity and liquid-phase deformability. These liquid metals are considered attractive candidates for developing compliant conductors capable of automatic recovery. This perspective delves into the rapidly advancing field of liquid metal-based self-healing conductors, exploring their design, fabrication, and critical applications. Furthermore, this article also addresses the current challenges and future directions in this active area of research.
柔性和可拉伸电子器件依赖柔顺导体作为基本构建材料。然而，这些材料易受磨损，随着时间推移会导致性能退化。针对这一问题，人们开发了自修复导体以延长功能器件的使用寿命。这些导体在受损后能够自动恢复其性能。传统的自修复导体通常由分散在聚合物基体中的固体导电填料和修复剂组成。然而，固体添加剂会增加复合材料的硬度并降低其拉伸性。由于镓基液态金属合金具有出色的导电性和液相可变形性，因此人们对其的兴趣与日俱增。这些液态金属被认为是开发具有自动恢复能力的柔顺导体的有吸引力的候选材料。本文深入探讨了基于液态金属的自修复导体这一快速发展的领域，探究了它们的设计、制造及关键应用。此外，本文还讨论了这一活跃研究领域当前面临的挑战和未来发展方向。
