1 research outputs found
Oxide-Free Actuation of Gallium Liquid Metal Alloys Enabled by Novel Acidified Siloxane Oils
Electrowetting and
electrocapillarity of liquid metals have a long
history, and a recent explosion of renewed interest. Liquid metals
have electromagnetic properties and surface tensions (>500 mN/m)
that
enable new forms of reconfigurable devices. However, the only nontoxic
option, gallium alloys, suffer from immediate formation of a semirigid
surface oxide. Although acids or electrochemical reduction can remove
this oxide, these approaches surround the gallium alloy in a fluid
that is also electrically conducting, diminishing electromagnetic
effectiveness and precluding electrowetting actuation. Reported here
are acidified siloxanes that remove and prevent oxide formation. Importantly,
the siloxane oil associatively incorporates hydrochloric or hydrobromic
acids, is electrically insulating, is chemically stable, removes etching
byproducts (including water), and allows robust electrowetting. This
work opens up new opportunities for liquid metal reconfiguration,
and is of fundamental interest due to the unexpected chemical stability
of the acidified siloxanes and their application to other materials
and surfaces