Dynamic Leakage-Free Liquid Metals

Leakage is a significant issue that prevents the widespread application of liquid metals (LMs) and an effective solution has not yet been developed. One potential solution is to use the high surface tension of LMs to encapsulate them in a porous material. However, it is challenging as it is difficult to infuse LMs into tiny pores. This study proposes a bottom-up strategy where LMs are doped with NdFeB@Ag particles, which are then magnetized to form a tight porous structure. This structure is robust and resistant to collapse under mechanical deformation. Therefore, LMs can be reliably immobilized within the pores between the particles, and a dynamic leakage-free state is achieved. The encapsulated LMs demonstrate excellent properties including a large latent heat of 153.46 J cm(-3), high thermal conductivity of 35.62 W m(-1) K-1, and enhanced electrical conductivity of 69.61%, which efficiently extends their functional scope and potential value.

Automated summary

This study proposes a bottom-up strategy to solve the leakage issue of liquid metals by encapsulating them in a porous material. The encapsulated liquid metals demonstrate excellent properties and can be reliably immobilized within the pores between the particles, achieving a leakage-free state.