Duan Liangfei, Zhou Tong, Zhao Xue, Mu Weihua, Khampheng Boudmyxay, Yang Peizhi, Chi Shaoming, Yang Huiqin, Liu Qingju
Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Advanced Technique & Preparation for Renewable Energy Materials, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China.
Yunnan Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Materials & Technology, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, School of Materials and Energy, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2024 Aug 14;16(32):42851-42861. doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c06998. Epub 2024 Jul 30.
Flexible optoelectronics have fully demonstrated their transformative roles in various fields, but their fabrication and application have been limited by complex processes. Liquid metals (LMs) are promising to be ideal raw materials for making flexible optoelectronics due to their extraordinary fluidity and printability. Herein, we propose a painting-modifying strategy based on solution processability for directly printing out fluorescent flexible optoelectronics from LMs via surface modification. The LMs of eGaIn, which were obtained by the mixing of gallium with indium metal spheres, were used as ink to paint high-finesse patterns on flexible substrates. Through introducing surface modification of LMs, the gallium atom on the surface of the LMs was directly transformed into the composite fluorescent functional layers of GaO(OH) and GaN after being modified with an ammonia aqueous solution. Owing to painting, this strategy is not limited by any curved surfaces, shapes, or facilities and has excellent adaptability. Particularly, the fluorescent layers were obtained through a spontaneous, instantaneous, and solution-processable process that is environmentally friendly, easy to administrate, recyclable, and adjustable. The present finding breaks through the limitations of LMs in making flexible optoelectronics and provides strategies for addressing severe challenges facing existing materials and flexible optoelectronics. This method is expected to be very useful for fabricating flexible lights, transformable displays, intelligent anticounterfeiting devices, skin-inspired optoelectronics, and chameleon-biomimetic soft robots in the coming time.
柔性光电子学已在各个领域充分展现了其变革性作用，但其制造与应用却受到复杂工艺的限制。液态金属（LMs）因其非凡的流动性和可印刷性，有望成为制造柔性光电子学的理想原材料。在此，我们基于溶液可加工性提出一种涂覆改性策略，通过表面改性直接从液态金属打印出荧光柔性光电子器件。通过将镓与铟金属球混合得到的铟镓合金液态金属用作墨水，在柔性基板上绘制高精细图案。通过引入液态金属的表面改性，液态金属表面的镓原子在用氨水溶液改性后直接转化为GaO(OH)和GaN的复合荧光功能层。由于采用涂覆方式，该策略不受任何曲面、形状或设备的限制，具有出色的适应性。特别地，荧光层是通过自发、即时且可溶液加工的过程获得的，该过程环保、易于操作、可回收且可调节。本研究突破了液态金属在制造柔性光电子学方面的限制，并为应对现有材料和柔性光电子学面临的严峻挑战提供了策略。预计该方法在未来制造柔性灯、可变形显示器、智能防伪装置、仿皮肤光电子学以及仿变色龙软机器人方面将非常有用。
