Liquid Metal Marbles

One process comprises coating liquid metal droplets with nano particles semiconductor and insulating materials forming the so called liquid metal marbles sivan et al 2013.

Liquid metal marbles. Nonwettable and nonsticky liquid metal marbles lmms are also developed to address the stickiness issue of oxidized lmas in air. Gallium based liquid metal alloys lmas are extensively studied and used recently due to their excellent fluidity high conductivity and low evaporation pressure. The semiconducting wo 3 coating behaves as a photocatalyst to trigger a photochemical reaction generating oxygen bubbles that propel the. The wo 3 nanoparticles coated marbles are placed in h 2 o 2 solution and their surfaces are illuminated with uv light.

Liquid metal marbles that are droplets of liquid metal encapsulated by micro or nanoparticles are introduced. For instance liquid metal marbles coated with semiconductor materials can act as transistors or diodes. Surprising actuation behaviours are observed illustrating that nanoparticle coatings can have a strong effect on the movement of these marbles. We show the unique differences in the electrochemical actuation mechanisms of liquid metal marbles with n and p type semiconducting nanomaterial coating.

Abstract liquid metal marbles that are droplets of liquid metal encapsulated by micro or nanoparticles are introduced. Semiconducting properties of nanoparticle coating on liquid metal marbles can present opportunities for an additional dimension of control on these soft objects with functional surfaces in aqueous environments. Liquid metal marbles that are droplets of liquid metal encapsulated by micro or nanoparticles are introduced. Depending on the coating the application can be modified.

We show the extraordinary electrochemically induced actuation of liquid metal droplets coated with nanoparticles so called liquid metal marbles. Droplets of galinstan liquid metal are coated with insulators including teflon and silica and semiconductors including wo3 tio2 moo3 in2o3 and carbon nanotubes by rolling over a powder bed and also by submerging in colloidal suspensions. Controlled actuation of soft objects with functional surfaces in aqueous environments presents opportunities for liquid phase electronics novel assembled super structures and unusual mechanical properties. We demonstrate photochemically induced actuation of liquid metal marbles which are liquid metal droplets encased in micro nanoparticles.