CAREER: Understanding and Controlling the Surface Properties of a Micromoldable Liquid Metal

该学院早期职业发展（CAREER）奖的研究目标是确定可微成型液态金属的基本表面特性。 液态金属是一种低毒性的镓基液体，在室温下具有低粘度（如水）。 它在其表面上形成薄的固体氧化物“皮肤”，允许液体被微成型为期望的形状（例如，导线、天线），其可用于柔性电子器件。 微成型金属通过表皮机械稳定，表皮决定了金属表面的电、机械和化学性质。该研究将探索这种表面的基本特性，并确定操纵，修改和调整它的方法，以形成具有表面决定特性的功能电子器件。 该项目将开发新的表面敏感技术，并用于彻底表征液态金属上氧化物表皮的独特特性。如果成功，该研究将能够制造柔软，柔性和可拉伸的电子元件，并具有可调特性。 示例应用包括用于分子电子器件的软电极、可变形天线和用于微流体设备的电气组件。通过这项研究可能实现的设备将提供耐用性和灵活性的优势，并且易于制造。 这项研究将被整合到一个新的课程在北卡罗来纳州和研究生和本科工程专业的学生将直接受益于参与研究。 一个讨论流行电影背景下的研究的互动模块将每年提交给北卡罗来纳州的一个既定计划，旨在吸引11至14岁的非洲裔美国人和西班牙裔男孩接受高等教育和从事科学事业。

The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award is to identify the fundamental surface properties of a micromoldable liquid metal. The liquid metal is a low toxicity, gallium-based fluid with a low viscosity (like water) at room temperature. It forms a thin, solid 'skin' of oxide on its surface that allows the liquid to be micromolded into desirable shapes (e.g., wires, antennas) that may be useful for flexible electronics. The micromolded metal is stabilized mechanically by the skin, which dictates the electrical, mechanical, and chemical properties of the surface of the metal. The research will explore the fundamental properties of this surface and identify means of manipulating, modifying, and tuning it to form functional electronics with surface-dictated properties. For this project, new surface sensitive techniques will be developed and used to thoroughly characterize the unique properties of the skin of oxide on the liquid metal.If successful, the research will enable the fabrication of soft, flexible, and stretchable electronic components with tunable properties. Example applications include soft electrodes for molecular electronics, deformable antennas, and electrical components for microfluidic devices. Devices made possible by the research will offer the advantages of durability and flexibility, and will be simple to fabricate. The research will be integrated into a new course at NC State and graduate and undergraduate engineering students will benefit directly from involvement in the research. An interactive module that discusses the research within the context of popular movies will be presented annually to an established program at NC State that aims to interest 11- to 14-year-old African-American and Hispanic boys in higher education and careers in science.