Stretchable and Lightweight Soft Conductive Composites Embedded with Liquid Metal Microfiber Networks

Soft conductive composites are essential components of stretchable electronics, soft robotics, soft sensors and actuators. Liquid metals are ideal fillers of soft conductive composites because of their high conductivity and supreme compliance. Existing liquid metal composites usually require a relatively high filling ratio of liquid metals, which inevitably make the composites heavy and expensive. In this presentation, We report the design and fabrication of a new paradigm of liquid metal composites by embedding liquid metal microfiber networks into soft elastomers. Experimental results indicate that this new composite is highly conductive, lightweight, super-stretchable, and low cost. The mechanical and electrical properties of this new liquid metal composite are characterized. In addition, we will demonstrate a few potential applications in stretchable electronics and sensing.