Soft elastomeric nanofibers with coaxially embedded liquid metal particles as a conductive filler for epidermal electronics

Liquid metal (LM) and its exceptional thermal and electrical conductivity properties have gained interest due to its fluidic mechanics at room temperature, enabling shape transformations that are beneficial for flexible electronics. These same properties in particle form allow for the integration of this metal to create complex materials with electrical characteristics attributed to percolation networks linked between LM particles (LMPs). We hypothesize that embedding the percolated network of LMPs within elastomeric nanofibers will yield a fibrous structure that maintains electrical conductivity unaffected by mechanical deformations for flexible electronics. The fibrous mat will maintain its fibrous architecture with added conductivity while exhibiting stretchable mechanics. For applications in three-dimensional cell culturing, we expect the inoculation of the percolation network of LMPs into the elastomeric fibers, the sintering procedure to fuse LMPs, creating a conductive core fiber, and assessing the conductive substrate’s application to be applicable for other flexible electronics (e.g., electrophysiology, electrochemistry, wound stimulation).