Mechanical and Electrical Dual-Repairing Agents for Flexible Conductors Based on Biphasic Liquid Metal–Polymer Composites

Abstract

Growing interest is emerging in flexible conductors (FCs) in the design and usage of modern electronic products. However, since FCs are susceptible to external damage, repairing agents that can extend the lifespan of flexible conductors are in urgent demand. This work is based on the combination of biphasic liquid metals and polymer adhesives to fabricate an original flexible conductor repairing agent (FCRA) through simple physical blending. By preferably tuning the alloy atom composition (Ga 0.3 In 0.7 ) and filler fraction (35 vol %), the as-fabricated 35%-Ga 0.3 In 0.7 -FCRA exhibits favorable satisfactory extendibility (∼186%), good electrical conductivity (∼800 S/m), and significantly enhanced adhesion (peel strength: ∼23 N/m) to behave as an effective repairing agent for FCs. Different from previous repairing agents, the 35%-Ga 0.3 In 0.7 -FCRA can simultaneously repair the mechanical and electrical performance of damaged FCs with 100% efficiency as the repaired FCs possess the same fracture strain (170%) and resistance (0.3 Ω) as the pristine FCs. The 35%-Ga 0.3 In 0.7 -FCRA is deployed in broken wearable electronics to repair the failed mechanical/electrical performance, remarkably enhancing the durability of flexible conductors. This work establishes an interesting link between biphasic liquid metals and polymers to provide a perspective for the development of electronic adhesives.