Shaping magnetic liquid metals into 3D leakage-free, shape-programmable structures and electronics

Liquid metals (LMs), renowned for their high conductivity and large deformability, find increasing applications including in flexible electronics and soft robotics. One critical process in these applications is the precise patterning of LMs into desired shapes. Yet, existing LM patterning techniques predominantly focus on 2D patterns due to challenges posed by the inherent fluidity and leakage of LMs. Here, we introduce an approach that bypasses these limitations, enabling the creation of complex 3D leakage-free LM structures. This is achieved through mechanical programming of 2D magnetically immobilized LM paste formed via incorporating magnetic particles into LMs. Such composite effectively resists leakage due to the combined effect of strong magnetic inter-attraction within the porous magnetic networks and the high surface tension of LMs, while retaining the high conductivity. Diverse freestanding magnetic LM structures, obtained upon LM solidification at ambient temperature, dynamically morph between their 2D and various 3D configurations through multiple cycles of induction heating and magnetic-assisted reprogramming, featuring large compression resistance and self-healing capabilities. Potential applications of these leakage-resistant, shape-adaptable structures are demonstrated through a helical magnetic LM antenna, which showcases its efficiency in wireless communication and energy harvesting.