Sea Cucumber Physiology of Liquid Metal Flexible Electronics with High Mechanical Stability and Curvature Conformity via Electroplating

The inherent rigidity of traditional printed circuit boards (PCBs) imposes significant limitations on device deformability, rendering them inadequate for the evolving demands of lightweight, flexible, and highly deformable electronic systems. Although flexible printed circuits (FPCs) offer partial improvements, they continue to face critical challenges including limited mechanical flexibility, insufficient durability, and the absence of intrinsic self-healing capabilities. Drawing inspiration from the adaptive deformation, exceptional flexibility, and autonomous self-healing properties observed in sea cucumbers, this study explores the incorporation of liquid metal (LM) into a flexible circuit design. We propose an electroplating-assisted patterning technique to fabricate LM alloy thin films, addressing key limitations of LM such as high surface tension, poor substrate adhesion, low manufacturing efficiency, and high production costs. Through interfacial energy manipulation, this technique effectively attenuates the intrinsic surface tension of the LM, thereby allowing for spatially selective wetting and strong interfacial bonding with deformable substrate materials. The proposed approach achieves high-resolution patterning down to 40 μm and demonstrates excellent electrical stability, maintaining performance after 10,000 fatigue bending cycles at a curvature radius of 0.5 mm. This work presents a promising technological advancement that not only enhances the functional robustness of flexible electronics but also broadens their potential for practical and scalable applications.