Recently, Deng Yifan, a 2022 undergraduate student from QMES, under the guidance of Professor Guancao from the Institute of Flexible Electronics, systematically summarized the research progress of stretchable liquid metal-based biomedical devices. As the first author, the paper titled “Stretchable Liquid Metal Based Biomedical Devices” was published in the internationally renowned journal npj Flexible Electronics (JCR Q1, IF 14.6). The corresponding authors of the paper are Professor Guancao from the Institute of Flexible Electronics at NPU, Associate Professor Liu Xiangye, and Associate Professor Chee Pei Song from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in Malaysia.

Picture 1. Applications and Challenges of Liquid Metal in Biomedical Field

With the improvement in living standards, there is an increasing demand for high-performance biomedical devices. Liquid metals, such as gallium-indium alloys and gallium-indium-tin alloys, exhibit excellent biocompatibility, remarkable stretchability, and superior thermal and electrical conductivity. They have tremendous potential for the development of high-performance stretchable biomedical devices. In recent years, extensive explorations have been conducted in the field of liquid metal-based stretchable biomedical devices. In this article, the authors focus on the theme of disease treatment and human function enhancement. They provide a comprehensive review of the fabrication methods of liquid metal-based electronic materials. The article summarizes the construction methods and performance of representative stretchable biomedical devices, including liquid metal-based bone cement, neural interfaces, e-vessels, flexible heaters, exoskeletons, and electronic skins. The existing issues associated with these biomedical devices are also discussed. Furthermore, the authors propose several topics of potential research value, such as the use of proteins for liquid metal nanoparticle-based targeted drug modification. This review article serves as a valuable reference for the development of novel stretchable biomedical devices based on liquid metals.

Deng Yifan is a 2022 undergraduate student from QMES. He graduated from Beilun High School in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. Deng Yifan achieved an outstanding academic performance with a GPA ranking of 1/118 in his major and an overall comprehensive evaluation ranking of 1/118. During his time at the university, he received numerous honors, including the National Scholarship, the Provincial Gold Award in the “Internet+” College Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, and the Provincial Second Prize in the Mathematical Modeling Competition. Currently, Deng Yifan is the class monitor and serves as the Director of the Volunteer Office in the School Youth League Committee.

Professor Guan from the Institute of Flexible Electronics and his research team have been conducting research on flexible electrode materials, flexible energy storage devices, and 3D printing techniques. Their related achievements have been published in high-level journals such as Nat. Commun., Adv. Mater., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., and Nano Lett. For more information, you can visit Professor Guan's homepage at: https://teacher.nwpu.edu.cn/nickelguan.html.

Article Link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-024-00298-z

Source of the text: Aoxiang Portal

Translator: Zhou Yaru