Liquid Metal Chemical Reaction

Liquid metals have attracted great attention among different areas. The unique combination of metallic and liquid properties distinguishes liquid metal from the traditional rigid metals or fluids. Liquid metals, represented by gallium or gallium-based alloys, possess certain chemical reactivity, enabling many chemical reactions that happened under ambient environment. In particular, the chemical reactions between liquid metals and other metals, such as Cu, Ag, Mg, and Al, can induce the formation of intermetallic phases or trigger a series of interesting phenomena. In addition, a series of galvanic reactions between liquid metal and other metallic ions would contribute to the recovery of noble metals or the construction of special core-shell structures. Overall, the chemical reaction on liquid metal and other metals would not only facilitate the development of novel composites with tunable electrical and thermal conductivity, mechanical property, and adhesion, but also lead to many applications such as biomedical therapy, electrical printing, antibacterial treatments, and micromotors.