Title: Electrochemical Redox Synergism-Enhanced Liquid Metal Locomotion for Unrestricted Circuit Substrate Patterning

Authors: Dr. Yi Fan, Dr. Yigang Shen, Wenli Zhang, Guochao Zeng, Tete Liu, Yilan Wang, Dr. Shuli Wang, Prof. Jing Zheng, Prof. Xu Hou

Abstract: The critical challenge in advancing liquid metal circuits (LMCs) lies in achieving interfacial compatibility with diverse substrates while dynamically balancing fabrication efficiency and quality to ensure robust conductive stability. Here we introduce an electrochemical redox synergistic liquid metal (E-rsLM) that enables the controllable generation of diverse intermetallic bond transition layers (Cu, Au, or Fe-based) between liquid metal and unrestricted substrate surfaces, applicable in pH-universal electrolytes. It involves enhanced locomotion of the liquid metal, driven by synergistic electrochemical energy transduction from cyclic changes in gallium redox states. Characterized by expansion-contraction-expansion, it enables unique self-propelled bouncing, tuning spreading speed (up to ~26.8 mm/s) and elongation rate (up to 1192 %) with a volume of only 80 μL. Additionally, we demonstrate the adaptability of E-rsLM fabrication across 30 different substrates, highlighting its versatility. The patterning displays the superimposed efficiency and self-indicated quality, leading to superior conductivity (with time-cost savings of 30.7 % and 13.4 % in heating-cooling cycles, and a nearly 90 % reduction in output resistance). The practical viability of these circuits is further showcased by the assembly of integrated circuits, marking a significant step in expanding LMCs applications beyond laboratory-scale prototypes.

Full-Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202424637