Chemical Processing of Liquid Metal

Liquid metals (LMs) are emerging as new functional materials with rather unique physical or chemical behaviors. They are generally safe and non-toxic; have high boiling points, reflectivities, excellent thermal and electrical conductivities, intrinsic flexibility, fluidity, and self-healing capability; and remain in liquid state at room temperature. These properties have endowed them to overcome numerous conventional technical bottlenecks and open applications in diverse fields. Particularly, the surface properties of liquid metals play a crucial role in determining their significant functions and applications. However, the surfaces of liquid metals usually present as silver-white appearance and distinct metallic textures, thereby confining their applications to specific domains. As a remedy, chemical processing of liquid metals can break through the limitations of their inherent properties and provide new opportunities for their innovative applications. Herein, the recent developments in the surface properties, chemical processing, and relevant functionalizations of liquid metals are comprehensively investigated. The strategies, structures, properties, and applications of chemical processing for liquid metals are systematically analyzed and compared. The effectiveness and characteristics of chemical processing induced by coating, mixing, compounding, surface modification, and external stimuli are provided, aiming to establish a potential system for the chemical processing of liquid metals.