Everyday materials such as paper and plastic could be transformed into electronic "smart devices" by using a simple new method to apply liquid metal to surfaces, according to scientists in Beijing, China. The study, published June 9 in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, demonstrates a technique for applying a liquid metal coating to surfaces that do not easily bond with liquid metal. The approach is designed to work at a large scale and may have applications in wearable testing platforms, flexible devices, and soft robotics.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A multifunctional Origami structure built by the liquid metal-treated paper. Credit: Cell Reports Physical Science/Yuan et al. "Before, we thought that it was impossible for liquid metal to adhere to non-wetting surfaces so easily, but here it can adhere to various surfaces only by adjusting the pressure, which is very interesting," said Bo Yuan, a scientist at Tsinghua University and the first author of the study. Scientists seeking to combine liquid metal with traditional materials have been impeded by liquid metal's extremely high surface tension, which prevents it from binding with most materials, including paper. To overcome this issue, previous research has mainly focused on a technique called "transfer printing," which involves using a third material to bind the liquid metal to the surface. But this strategy comes with…