Active Corrosion Triggered Liquid Metal Dewetting.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Liquid metals (LMs) are functional materials with potential for dewetting applications.
• Traditional dewetting methods for LMs primarily rely on physical treatments, which are often inefficient.
• The phenomenon of LM dewetting has received insufficient research attention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report and investigate a novel dewetting phenomenon in liquid metals, termed active corrosion-triggered dewetting (ACT-Dewetting).
• To explore the underlying mechanisms coupling mechanics, chemistry, and physics in ACT-Dewetting.
• To demonstrate the potential applications of ACT-Dewetting in microdroplet fabrication and information encryption.

Main Methods:

• Investigated the dewetting behavior of gallium (Ga)-based and Ga-free liquid metals on sacrificial metal substrates (e.g., Al, Mg).
• Utilized a process involving substrate corrosion to initiate and drive the dewetting phenomenon.
• Analyzed the coupled mechanics, chemistry, and physics involved in the ACT-Dewetting process.

Main Results:

• ACT-Dewetting rapidly induced the formation of numerous liquid metal microdroplets on sacrificial substrates within seconds.
• The process was accompanied by substrate corrosion and gas emission, distinguishing it from physical dewetting methods.
• Demonstrated the successful fabrication of liquid metal microdroplets and potential for information encryption using selective corrosion and metallic luster.

Conclusions:

• Active corrosion-triggered dewetting (ACT-Dewetting) presents a novel, efficient method for liquid metal microdroplet fabrication.
• This approach integrates mechanical, chemical, and physical principles, offering advantages over traditional physical dewetting techniques.
• ACT-Dewetting opens new avenues for innovative research and applications in liquid metal materials science and technology.