Liquid metal-based soft, hermetic, and wireless-communicable seals for stretchable systems

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Engineering
• Soft Robotics

Background:

• Soft materials are often gas permeable, hindering the creation of hermetic seals for flexible devices.
• Developing reliable seals is crucial for integrating volatile fluids in soft electronic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer novel stretchable hermetic seals using liquid metals.
• To demonstrate the efficacy of these seals in functional soft electronic devices.

Main Methods:

• Integration of spacers with liquid metals to form stretchable seals.
• Application of seals in stretchable batteries and heat transfer systems.
• Incorporation of a signal transmission window for wireless communication.

Main Results:

• Liquid metal seals exhibited hermeticity under strain, suitable for volatile fluids.
• The stretchable battery maintained ~72.5% capacity after 500 cycles.
• The heat transfer system demonstrated enhanced thermal conductivity (~309 W/m·K) under strain and heat, with successful wireless signal transmission.

Conclusions:

• Liquid metals with spacers offer a viable solution for creating stretchable hermetic seals.
• This technology enables robust packaging for diverse soft electronic applications.
• The seals facilitate the integration of volatile fluids and wireless communication in flexible devices.