2025-10-22 ワシントン大学(UW)
Researchers demonstrated easy reclamation and recycling of 94% of the liquid metal in the newly created composite material. In their demonstration, a composite sample with a functioning circuit (box 1) was dissolved in a series of chemical solutions (box 2), allowing most of the liquid metal within it to be isolated (box 3). The metal was then used to create a fresh composite sample complete with a new functioning circuit (box 4).Y. Han/Advanced Functional Materials
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.washington.edu/news/2025/10/22/liquid-metal-composite-recyclable-flexible-electronics-ewaste/
- https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.202511119
再構成可能でリサイクル可能なフレキシブルエレクトロニクスのための導電性液体金属ビトリマー複合材料 Conductive Liquid Metal Vitrimer Composites for Reconfigurable and Recyclable Flexible Electronics
Youngshang Han, Sargun Singh Rohewal, Sumit Gupta, Shreya Paul, Christopher C. Bowland, Mohammad H. Malakooti
Advanced Functional Materials Published: 12 September 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202511119
Abstract
Liquid metal (LM) elastomer composites exhibit excellent functionality for stretchable electronics and wearables, but limited recycling and reuse pathways constrain their sustainable use. To address these challenges amid growing concerns over electronic waste, a conductive LM–vitrimer composite is presented that enables recyclable and reconfigurable electronics. This soft and stretchable composite features uniformly distributed LM inclusions that enhance thermal conductivity by 6.53× and enable the formation of conductive traces with electrical self-healing, while the vitrimer provides structural restoration. The dynamic covalent bonds of the vitrimer matrix are leveraged for both reprocessing the composite and chemically recovering 94% of the LM. This liquid-state filler slightly reduces the vitrimer’s stiffness to 2.63 MPa (≈20% lower), while maintaining its high stretchability (>135% strain) and thermal stability. It is further examined how ultrasonicated LM inclusions interact with the vitrimer matrix and demonstrate the composite’s self-healing and recyclability through two distinct approaches: 1) thermomechanical reprocessing, which restores fragmented composites under heat and compression for circuit reconfiguration; and 2) chemical recycling, which recovers the embedded LM for reuse in fabricating new composites and redesigned circuitry. With the integration of recyclability and diverse functional capabilities, LM–vitrimer composites emerge as a promising material platform for sustainable, flexible electronics.
