Programmable Continuous Electrowetting of Liquid Metal for Reconfigurable Electronics
Name
Advanced Materials - 2025 - Babatain - Programmable Continuous Electrowetting of Liquid Metal for Reconfigurable.pdf
Description
Published version
Size
25.48 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
151ef5b99636738d40645cfad94da073
Author(s)
Babatain, Wedyan
Park, Christine
Harraz, Deiaa M
Kilic Afsar, Ozgun
Honnet, Cedric
Lov, Sarah
Labrune, Jean‐Baptiste
Dickey, Michael D
Ishii, Hiroshi
Date Issued
September 15, 2025
Journal
Advanced Materials
Publisher
Wiley
Citation
W. Babatain, C. Park, D. M. Harraz, et al. “ Programmable Continuous Electrowetting of Liquid Metal for Reconfigurable Electronics.” Adv. Mater. (2025): e06383.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Dynamic manipulation of the shape and position of liquid metal (LM), a conductive and deformable conductor, presents new opportunities for reconfigurable electronics, fluidic logic, and soft-actuation systems. This study combines continuous electrowetting (CEW) with electrochemical modulation of the interface of LM in electrolyte to achieve tunable and directional LM manipulation in 2D spaces. A key finding is that under a fixed external electric field, the LM moves in a direction that depends on its electrochemical potential. The LM potential is controlled using a substrate featuring patterns of laser-induced graphene (LIG) since it is non-wetting to LM and electrically conductive. This strategy enables a range of functionalities, including “valves” for on-demand LM control, LM droplet sorting, feedback sensing, and fluidic logic gates. The strategy can also control the motion of LM droplets across 2D spaces. Finally, it is utilized within a reconfigurable circuit platform where the LM functions as a dynamic interconnect for sequential activation, parallel switching, and self-healing circuits. By coupling the electrically-driven motion of LM and the versatility of LIG patterning, this work establishes a versatile framework for reconfigurable electronics, programmable fluidic systems, and adaptive systems.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Media Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemistry
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Creative Commons Attribution
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202506383
