Liquid Metal-Based Multifunctional Composites for Wearable Sensors and Soft Actuators

<p dir="ltr">Flexible conductive composites have garnered significant attention due to their ability to integrate electrical conductivity with mechanical flexibility, making them ideal for applications in wearable electronics and soft robotics. Traditional fillers and matrices face challenges such as limited stretchability, poor adaptability under deformation, and suboptimal synergy between filler and matrix, which hinder their practical use. Among the various materials investigated, liquid metals (LM), such as gallium-based alloys, have emerged as promising candidates due to their unique combination of fluidic deformability, high electrical conductivity, and self-healing properties. However, recent research on LM-based flexible conductive composites faces several challenges, including difficulties in achieving precise control over LM microparticle size and distribution, satisfied sensitivity, as well as fast response to external stimuli. Additionally, the limited availability of high-performance matrix materials further constrains the development of advanced LM-based composites.</p><p dir="ltr">The main purpose of this research is to develop LM-based flexible conductive composites by not only utilising LM as a filler to enhance conductivity and mechanical properties but also by designing customised matrices to further improve performance. These multifunctional composites are tailored for applications in wearable communication devices and bio-inspired robotics.</p>