Activation‐Free and Strain‐Resilient Island‐Bridge Liquid Metal Inks for Machine‐Learning‐Enabled Epidermal Electromyography

ABSTRACT Liquid metal particle‐based inks offer a scalable route toward stretchable electronics, yet their practical implementation is hindered by activation‐dependent conductivity and poor electrical stability under deformation. Herein, we report an intrinsically conductive and strain‐resilient liquid metal ink with a rationally engineered island‐bridge micro‐architecture, in which Cu‐decorated carbon nanotubes (CuCNTs) bridge adjacent liquid metal particles (LMPs) through initial hydrogen‐bonding/coordination‐assisted attachment to the native gallium‐oxide shell, followed by local Cu‐Ga alloying at the CuCNTs/LMPs interface. Enabled by solvent‐mediated dispersion and interfacial hybridization, the strain‐resilient composite ink supports high‐resolution (100 µm) screen printing and deformable circuit integration. The dynamically reconfigurable island‐bridge network retains a sheet resistance of 1.3 × 10 −1 Ω sq −1 at 300% strain, together with stable resistance during prolonged cyclic stretching and bending. When printed into a compact 12‐channel array on breathable fibrous substrates, the resulting electrode array exhibits low skin‐electrode impedance and superior high‐density surface electromyography (HD‐sEMG) performance compared with commercial gel electrodes. Combined with machine‐learning‐assisted analysis, the electromyography arrays enable training‐state recognition, individualized load assessment, and continuous monitoring of fatigue‐associated exercise states during dynamic exercise. This work provides a scalable strategy for intrinsically conductive liquid metal electronics and advances their application in intelligent wearable biointerfaces and soft electronic systems.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Materials
Published
2026-10-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.75526
Primary Topic
Nanomaterials and Printing Technologies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Activation‐Free and Strain‐Resilient Island‐Bridge Liquid Metal Inks for Machine‐Learning‐Enabled Epidermal Electromyography

Yidong Peng, Biao Zhou, Jiancheng Dong, Yunpeng Huang et al.
Advanced Materials
Nanomaterials and Printing Technologies
article

Activation‐Free and Strain‐Resilient Island‐Bridge Liquid Metal Inks for Machine‐Learning‐Enabled Epidermal Electromyography

Yidong Peng, Biao Zhou, Jiancheng Dong, Yunpeng Huang, Yanqing Gu, Haitao Huang, Haoxuan Zhu, Haoran Liu, Lingqi Liu
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Liquid metal particle‐based inks offer a scalable route toward stretchable electronics, yet their practical implementation is hindered by activation‐dependent conductivity and poor electrical stability under deformation. Herein, we report an intrinsically conductive and strain‐resilient liquid metal ink with a rationally engineered island‐bridge micro‐architecture, in which Cu‐decorated carbon nanotubes (CuCNTs) bridge adjacent liquid metal particles (LMPs) through initial hydrogen‐bonding/coordination‐assisted attachment to the native gallium‐oxide shell, followed by local Cu‐Ga alloying at the CuCNTs/LMPs interface. Enabled by solvent‐mediated dispersion and interfacial hybridization, the strain‐resilient composite ink supports high‐resolution (100 µm) screen printing and deformable circuit integration. The dynamically reconfigurable island‐bridge network retains a sheet resistance of 1.3 × 10 −1 Ω sq −1 at 300% strain, together with stable resistance during prolonged cyclic stretching and bending. When printed into a compact 12‐channel array on breathable fibrous substrates, the resulting electrode array exhibits low skin‐electrode impedance and superior high‐density surface electromyography (HD‐sEMG) performance compared with commercial gel electrodes. Combined with machine‐learning‐assisted analysis, the electromyography arrays enable training‐state recognition, individualized load assessment, and continuous monitoring of fatigue‐associated exercise states during dynamic exercise. This work provides a scalable strategy for intrinsically conductive liquid metal electronics and advances their application in intelligent wearable biointerfaces and soft electronic systems.

Advanced Materials
Jiangnan University (CN), Donghua University (CN), Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education (CN), Nanjing First Hospital (CN), Nanjing Medical University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 24%
Nanomaterials and Printing Technologies
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Laika access coming soon