Liquid Metal Materials for Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment

Liquid metals (LMs) represent a novel category of functional materials characterized by low melting points, metallic conductivity, and distinctive fluidic behavior. In contrast to traditional metals, LMs exhibit a combination of mechanical flexibility alongside superior electrical conductivity and thermal properties, rendering them highly suitable for biomedical applications. Ga-based LMs, in particular, have attracted significant interest due to their favorable biocompatibility and chemical stability, effectively addressing the toxicity concerns associated with mercury. In the context of tumor diagnosis, their elevated X-ray attenuation coefficients and facile surface modification capabilities enable their use as contrast-enhancing agents in X-ray imaging, computed tomography, and photoacoustic imaging modalities. Therapeutically, Ga-based LMs have been investigated for their potential as antimicrobial agents, drug delivery vehicles, and multifunctional composites in cancer treatment. Taken together, the combination of deformability, electrical conductivity, and biocompatibility underscores the potential of LMs as promising candidates for next-generation theranostic platforms. This review provides an overview of the fundamental properties of LMs and discusses recent progress in their application for tumor diagnosis and therapy.