Dynamic Liquid Metal-Microfiber Interlocking Enables Highly Conductive and Strain-insensitive Metastructured Fibers...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Stretchable fibers with high conductivity are crucial for smart textiles and wearable electronics.
• Embedding solid conductive materials in polymers leads to reduced conductivity under strain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a stretchable fiber with highly conductive and ultrastable conductance.
• To overcome the limitations of traditional stretchable conductive materials.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a stretchable metastructured fiber using a dynamic liquid metal-microfiber interlocking interface.
• Partial embedding of a copper-eutectic gallium-indium (Cu-EGaIn) mixture within a porous microfiber mat.
• Rolling the structure into a spiral-layered fiber with self-compensating conductive pathways.

Main Results:

• Achieved high conductivity of 1.5 × 10^6 S m^-1.
• Demonstrated large stretchability up to 629%.
• Exhibited ultrastable conductance with only a 16% resistance change at 100% strain.

Conclusions:

• The dynamic solid-liquid interfacial interlocking strategy offers a promising approach for advanced stretchable electronics.
• The developed fibers serve as versatile platforms for wearable applications like electrothermal heaters and smart sensing fabrics.