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Research Article

High precision patternable liquid metal based conductor and adhesive substrate enabled stretchable hybrid systems

Runhui Zhou1,2,§, Jiaoya Huang1,§, Zemin Li1,2, Yushu Wang3, Ziyu Chen3, Caofeng Pan1,2,4( )
CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101400, China
School of Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Center on Nanoenergy Research, School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Institute of Atomic Manufacturing, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China

§ Runhui Zhou and Jiaoya Huang contributed equally to this work.

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Graphical Abstract

In order to overcome obstacles of stable electrical contact and tough interface adhesion in the integration of rigid and soft modules, we proposed a simple, universal, and scalable strategy for the stretchable hybrid system through a highly precise printable liquid metal-based conductor and adhesive fluorine rubber substrate. On this basis, we successfully fabricated the complicated 6 × 6 hybrid light-emitting diode (LED) display and pressure perception system that enabled on-skin visualization of pressure levels, which might pave the way for the application of on-skin human–machine interaction and soft robotics.

Abstract

Stretchable hybrid systems have been attracting tremendous attention for their essential role in soft robotics, on-skin electronics, and implantable devices. Both rigid and soft functional modules are typically required in those devices. Consequently, ensuring stable electrical contact between rigid and soft modules is a vital part. Here, we propose a simple, universal, and scalable strategy for the stretchable hybrid system through a highly precise printable liquid metal particle-based conductor and adhesive fluorine rubber substrate. The properties of liquid metal particle-based conductors could be easily tuned to realize high-precision patterning, large-scale printing, and the ability to print on various substrates. Additionally, the fluorine rubber substrate could form strong interfacial adhesion with various components and materials through simply pressing and heating, hence enabling stable electrical contact. Furthermore, we prepared a stretchable hybrid light-emitting diode (LED) display system and employed it in on-skin visualization of pressure levels, which perfectly combined rigid and soft modules, thus demonstrating the promising potential applications in complex multifunctional stretchable hybrid systems for emerging technologies.

Keywords

stretchable hybrid systemsliquid metalhigh precisioninterfacial adhesion

Electronic Supplementary Material

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Nano Research
Volume 17 Issue 6,
June 2024
Pages 5595-5603
DOI: 10.1007/s12274-024-6516-6
Cite this article:
Zhou R, Huang J, Li Z, et al. High precision patternable liquid metal based conductor and adhesive substrate enabled stretchable hybrid systems. Nano Research, 2024, 17(6): 5595-5603. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-024-6516-6
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Received: 23 December 2023
Revised: 24 January 2024
Accepted: 25 January 2024
Published: 03 April 2024
© Tsinghua University Press 2024
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