Solid-Liquid Composites for Soft Multifunctional Materials

Soft materials with a liquid component are an emerging paradigm in materials design. The incorporation of a liquid phase, such as water, liquid metals, or complex fluids, into solid materials imparts unique properties and characteristics that emerge as a result of the dramatically different properties of the liquid and solid. Especially in recent years, this has led to the development and study of a range of novel materials with new functional responses, with applications in topics including soft electronics, soft robotics, 3D printing, wet granular systems and even in cell biology. Here a review of solid-liquid composites, broadly defined as a material system with at least one, phase-separated liquid component, is provided and discussed their morphology and fabrication approaches, their emergent mechanical properties and functional response, and the broad range of their applications.

Automated summary

Solid-liquid composites, incorporating liquid phases like water, liquid metals, or complex fluids into solid materials, have emerged as a new paradigm in material design, showcasing unique properties and characteristics due to the vastly different properties of liquids and solids. In recent years, the development of solid-liquid composites has led to the study and application of novel materials with new functional responses in various fields, such as soft electronics, robotics, 3D printing, wet granular systems, and cell biology.