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Controllable liquid metal microparticles production and patterning by miniaturized filter-sieve generators

Controllable liquid metal microparticles production and patterning by miniaturized filter-sieve generators
Controllable liquid metal microparticles production and patterning by miniaturized filter-sieve generators

Liquid metal microparticles (LMMPs) with excellent conductivity and reactivity hold significant promise for applications in flexible electronics and sensors. However, current LMMP production methods face critical challenges, including achieving smaller particle sizes with low energy consumption, streamlining processes, and enhancing productivity. Herein, leveraging the tunable surface tension of LM droplets, a compact platform called the miniaturized filter-sieve generator (MFSG) is presented, for scalable, energy-efficient, and controllable LMMP production. The MFSG demonstrates high energy efficiency (average power consumption of 0.21 W) and productivity (6.51 × 105 particles per minute) while enabling precise control of microparticle sizes (2–300 µm). Furthermore, the MFSG can uniformly produce LMMPs with varied compositions. Harnessing these capabilities, a reconfigurable platform integrating the MFSG is developed to enable complex droplet patterning and an LMMP-based humidity sensor with high sensitivity. This innovative platform for on-demand LMMP production with low energy consumption will drive significant advancements in electronic devices and sensing systems.

compact platforms, controllable sizes, high energy efficiency, high productivities, liquid metal microparticles
Zhang, Qingtian
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Lu, Hongda
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Guo, Yipu
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Zhou, Xiangbo
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Gong, Liping
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Chen, Zexin
8de98029-a757-453e-bc4f-7054eba5b83c
Wang, Jialu
56235185-256e-49c4-a493-a539917ae496
Du, Haiping
f8e3ba9d-395c-4d08-a62b-3de98e4d6a99
Tang, Shi Yang
1d0f15c6-2a3e-4bad-a3d8-fc267db93ed4
Li, Weihua
e2555036-0e48-425a-afeb-db6ffba5238e
Zhang, Qingtian
58f0e671-0e53-478f-8f4d-b94dd720893e
Lu, Hongda
731b3c09-82ae-408b-8218-95b0de29f2dd
Guo, Yipu
783a1a9a-e857-4a32-960f-934e666ea1d5
Zhou, Xiangbo
fad0d425-1021-4ce3-8dbd-cf88a03a8a7c
Gong, Liping
012399f2-b7a7-4450-ad49-50d26351d3a5
Chen, Zexin
8de98029-a757-453e-bc4f-7054eba5b83c
Wang, Jialu
56235185-256e-49c4-a493-a539917ae496
Du, Haiping
f8e3ba9d-395c-4d08-a62b-3de98e4d6a99
Tang, Shi Yang
1d0f15c6-2a3e-4bad-a3d8-fc267db93ed4
Li, Weihua
e2555036-0e48-425a-afeb-db6ffba5238e

Zhang, Qingtian, Lu, Hongda, Guo, Yipu, Zhou, Xiangbo, Gong, Liping, Chen, Zexin, Wang, Jialu, Du, Haiping, Tang, Shi Yang and Li, Weihua (2025) Controllable liquid metal microparticles production and patterning by miniaturized filter-sieve generators. Small Methods. (doi:10.1002/smtd.202500301).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Liquid metal microparticles (LMMPs) with excellent conductivity and reactivity hold significant promise for applications in flexible electronics and sensors. However, current LMMP production methods face critical challenges, including achieving smaller particle sizes with low energy consumption, streamlining processes, and enhancing productivity. Herein, leveraging the tunable surface tension of LM droplets, a compact platform called the miniaturized filter-sieve generator (MFSG) is presented, for scalable, energy-efficient, and controllable LMMP production. The MFSG demonstrates high energy efficiency (average power consumption of 0.21 W) and productivity (6.51 × 105 particles per minute) while enabling precise control of microparticle sizes (2–300 µm). Furthermore, the MFSG can uniformly produce LMMPs with varied compositions. Harnessing these capabilities, a reconfigurable platform integrating the MFSG is developed to enable complex droplet patterning and an LMMP-based humidity sensor with high sensitivity. This innovative platform for on-demand LMMP production with low energy consumption will drive significant advancements in electronic devices and sensing systems.

Text
Small Methods - 2025 - Zhang - Controllable Liquid Metal Microparticles Production and Patterning by Miniaturized - Version of Record
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e-pub ahead of print date: 2 June 2025
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Small Methods published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.
Keywords: compact platforms, controllable sizes, high energy efficiency, high productivities, liquid metal microparticles

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 503401
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/503401
PURE UUID: 4fa42766-9671-4a5b-aed4-9615535b62e7
ORCID for Shi Yang Tang: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3079-8880

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 30 Jul 2025 16:52
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 02:40

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Contributors

Author: Qingtian Zhang
Author: Hongda Lu
Author: Yipu Guo
Author: Xiangbo Zhou
Author: Liping Gong
Author: Zexin Chen
Author: Jialu Wang
Author: Haiping Du
Author: Shi Yang Tang ORCID iD
Author: Weihua Li

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