Revolutionary electronic ink: devices made of hard and soft!

Revolutionary electronic ink: devices made of hard and soft!

Researchers have managed to develop a groundbreaking type of “electronic ink” that makes it possible to print electronic circuits that can change their rigidity. This new technology could form the basis for the development of innovative devices that switch between rigid and soft forms depending on use. Loud Live Science The ink contains a combination of gallium, a metal that is solid at room temperature but melts just below body temperature (98.6°F / 37°C), and a polymer-based solvent that decomposes when gently heated.

The result of this research is a stable, printable substance that becomes conductive when heated. It can have both plastic and rubbery properties. This opens up new possibilities for medical devices, flexible robotics and personal electronics. Jae-Woong Jeong, co-author of the study and professor of electrical engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), made it clear that this technology can overcome the current limitations of traditional electronics, which are either rigid like smartphones or soft like wearable devices.

Innovative manufacturing methods

A central element of the research is the process of dispersing microscopic gallium particles in a polymer matrix with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). When gently heated, DMSO decomposes and creates a slightly acidic environment that removes the oxide layer from the gallium particles. This allows the particles to melt and form conductive networks. The new ink can print features as small as 50 microns and changes their properties up to a stiffness change ratio of 1,465, such as Instockin reported.

In addition to its promising application for making circuits that can switch between hard and soft, the ink has also been developed for multilayer circuits. This new method could revolutionize the development of devices that can adapt to different conditions, opening up a wide range of possibilities for wear, medical applications and robotics.

Practical applications

The researchers have already developed two working prototypes. A wearable healthcare device remains rigid at room temperature and becomes soft when in contact with skin. Another example is a flexible brain implant that remains rigid during surgery and softens in the brain to minimize irritation and inflammation. These applications demonstrate the innovative ink's potential to improve both the safety and well-being of users.

The ability to use this ink with common manufacturing techniques such as screen printing and dip coating also paves the way for future large-scale and 3D printed electronic devices. The successful development of this technology shows that it is possible to overcome the challenges of printing with liquid metal through new, creative approaches.