Just one week after announcing a breakthrough nanotechnology material, RMIT University scientists have created droplets of liquid metal coated in nanoparticles, which they claim will advance research into soft electronics and industrial sensing technology. Scientists at RMIT’s Platform Technologies Research Institute developed “liquid metal marbles” by using functional nanoparticles as a semi-solid coating on liquid metals. Lead investigator Dr Vijay Sivan said the marbles – which are like flexible ball bearings – were developed as part of investigations into flexible conductive systems for electronic and electromagnetic units. He told CIO, they had the potential to be used in flexible electronic devices, such as stretchable interconnects for elastic electronic surfaces as well as reconfigurable wires and antennas. Manufacturers such as Samsung have already developed stretchable displays. The non-stick, durable liquid metal marbles overcome the limitations of liquid metals and enable scientists to use powder coating materials from insulating to semiconducting and highly conducting, Dr Sivan said. “The idea of building liquid electronics based on liquid metal marbles is unique, as they can not only move and form makeshift electronic devices, they can also produce strong plasmonic fields around them,” he said. “For sensing applications, these marbles are the safest alternative to mercury-based heavy metal ion sensors, while their thermal conduction properties are also fascinating, and should be further investigated.” Sivan said the marbles can “endure high impacts and temperatures without disintegrating, can operate like semiconducting systems, and are compatible with micro and nano-fluidic systems. Sivan said that when solid metal is used in a “flexible electronic environment” it becomes damaged and disintegrates. However, liquid metal “actually self-heals” making it suitable to use in flexible electronic devices in the future. The discovery follows news earlier this week that a separate RMIT research team – working with scientists from the CSIRO – created a new two-dimensional nano-material that may help manufacturers create even smaller computing devices that offer significant improvements in processing speed. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe