Solid-Like yet Reconfigurable 3D-Printed Liquid Tubular Wires From Nonconductive Molecules

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electronics Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Liquid electronics offer advantages like self-healing and electrical conductivity, presenting an alternative to solid-state devices.
• Fabricating all-liquid wires with good mechanical and electrical properties from intrinsically conductive materials remains a challenge.
• Previous liquid electronics have faced limitations in performance and material variety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for fabricating 3D conductive all-liquid wires.
• To overcome limitations of existing liquid electronics regarding performance and material constraints.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using nonconductive materials for conductive liquid electronics.

Main Methods:

• An interfacial redox strategy involving in situ polymerization of nonconductive monomers at a liquid-ink-bath interface.
• Utilizing the formed polymer network to create a stiff liquid-liquid interface capable of 3D printing.
• Systematic investigation of interfacial assembly, mechanical properties, and 3D printing performance.

Main Results:

• Successfully produced stiff, 3D-printed all-liquid tubular wires with efficient current flow.
• Demonstrated high interfacial stiffness through in situ polymer network formation.
• Fabricated functional electronic devices incorporating the novel all-liquid wires.

Conclusions:

• A novel method for fabricating conductive all-liquid electronics from nonconductive materials has been introduced.
• The developed interfacial assembly strategy enables the creation of high-performance liquid wires.
• This advancement holds significant potential for the development of next-generation electronic devices.