Liquid metal composites: Recent advances and applications

Abstract

Liquid metals (LMs), because of their ability to remain in a liquid state at room temperature, render them highly versatile for applications in electronics, energy storage, medicine, and robotics. Among various LMs, Ga-based LMs exhibit minimal cytotoxicity, low viscosity, high thermal and electrical conductivities, and excellent wettability. Therefore, Ga-based LM composites (LMCs) have emerged as a recent research focus. Recent advancements have focused on novel fabrication techniques and applications spanning energy storage, flexible electronics, and biomedical devices. Particularly noteworthy are the developments in wearable sensors and electronic skins, which hold promise for healthcare monitoring and human–machine interfaces. Despite their potential, challenges, such as oxidative susceptibility and biocompatibility, remain. Creating bio-based LMC materials is a promising approach to address these issues while exploring new avenues to optimize LMC performance and broaden its application domains. This review provides a concise overview of the recent trends in LMC research, highlights their transformative impacts, and outlines key directions for future investigation and development.