Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
08:50
Fabrication and Characterization of a Conformal Skin-like Electronic System for Quantitative, Cutaneous Wound Management
Published on: September 2, 2015
9.4K
Highly Conductive, Large-Scale Liquid Metal Asymmetric Films by Reconfiguring Hydrogen Bonds for Versatile Electronic
Zijie Gao1, Xinfeng Zhou1, Yue Liu1
1State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|December 16, 2025
Summary
A new room-temperature self-sintering method uses biomass nanofibers to create large-scale, conductive liquid metal (LM) electronic skins. This innovation enables efficient thermal management, electromagnetic shielding, and infrared camouflage for advanced wearable applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Wearable Electronics
Background:
- Liquid metal (LM)-based electronic skins offer great potential but often require manual activation for conductivity.
- Scalable fabrication of conductive LM films is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a scalable, room-temperature self-sintering strategy for fabricating uniform, large-area conductive LM films.
- To integrate thermal management, electromagnetic protection, and infrared camouflage into a single electronic skin.
Main Methods:
- Utilized biomass nanofibers (cellulose nanofibers) and a customized hydrogen bond acceptor (poly(vinyl alcohol)) for film formation.
- Employed localized capillary force for room-temperature self-sintering of LM particles.
- Demonstrated film properties including conductivity, thermal management, EMI shielding, and IR stealth.
Main Results:
- Achieved a uniform, large-scale, asymmetric conductive LM film with conductivity of 5.2 × 10^5 S m^-1.
- Demonstrated excellent radiant heat retention and low-voltage, biocompatible Joule heating performance.
- Exhibited efficient electromagnetic interference shielding (>100 dB) and infrared stealth capabilities.
Conclusions:
- The room-temperature self-sintering strategy enables scalable manufacturing of high-performance LM films.
- The developed electronic skin offers multifaceted functionalities for advanced thermal management and protection.
- The versatile hydrogen bond acceptor is compatible with various polymers, paving the way for all-in-one electronic skins.
Keywords:
electromagnetic interference shieldinginfrared stealthlarge-scale conductive skinliquid metalsself-sinteringMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:15Potentiometry: Membrane Electrodes
Membrane electrodes, also known as p-ion electrodes, use membranes that selectively interact with free analyte ions, generating a potential difference across the membrane. The resulting membrane potential, known as the asymmetry potential, is not zero even when analyte concentrations on both sides of the membrane are equal. The membrane's response is typically not selective to a single analyte but proportional to the concentration of all ions in the sample solution capable of interacting at the...
01:24Electrochemical Systems
Electrochemical systems provide a fascinating insight into the dynamic interplay of charged species within various phases. One notable example is the interaction between a membrane permeable to K⁺ ions but not to Cl⁻ ions, separating an aqueous KCl solution from pure water. As K⁺ ions diffuse through the membrane, they generate net charges on each phase, leading to a potential difference between them.Similarly, when a piece of Zn is immersed in an aqueous ZnSO₄ solution, the Zn metal, composed...
01:24Types of Reversible Electrodes
For electrode reversibility to be maintained, all the reactants and products involved in the half-reaction must be present at the electrode. There are several types of reversible electrodes (half-cells).In metal-metal-ion electrodes, a metal balances electrochemically with a solution of its own ions. Examples are Cu2+|Cu and Zn2+|Zn. Metals that react with the solvent, like group 1 and most group 2 metals, which react with water, and zinc, which reacts with aqueous acidic solutions, cannot be...
01:30The Electrical Double Layer
In the region where two bulk phases meet, an intricate electric charge distribution arises due to charge transfer, ion adsorption, molecular orientation, and charge distortion. This complex distribution is commonly referred to as the electrical double layer.When a solid electrode interfaces with ions in an electrolyte solution, the speed of electron transfer dictates the rates of oxidation and reduction. The electrode acquires a charge through the escape of atoms into the solution as cations or...