Abstract:

Gallium-based liquid metals have emerged as a unique class of functional materials that  combine metallic conductivity, fluidity, and mechanical deformability. Their ability to maintain  metallic conductivity under large mechanical deformation, together with the spontaneous  formation of a thin oxide layer that enables adhesion and surface engineering, has created  new opportunities for soft electronics and multifunctional material systems. 

In this seminar, I will present recent advances in liquid metal-enabled technologies from the  perspectives of materials, interfaces, and applications. I will discuss strategies for engineering  liquid metal micro/nanostructures as well as multifunctional composites, highlighting how  interfacial phenomena govern electrical, mechanical, and thermal performance.  Representative applications will include wearable bioelectronics, stretchable sensors, soft  actuators, human–machine interfaces, and energy harvesting devices. 

The seminar will also explore the emerging role of liquid metals in advanced thermal  management for high-power electronics and artificial intelligence hardware. By connecting  materials design with interfacial engineering, I will discuss how liquid metals are enabling next- generation soft electronics and thermal management technologies, as well as future  opportunities and remaining challenges for their practical implementation.

Biography:

Sungjune Park is an associate professor of polymer chemistry in the College of Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University in Korea. He received his B.Sc. in chemical engineering (2007) and his M.Sc. in industrial chemistry (2009) from Chungnam National University. He earned his Ph.D. from RWTH Aachen University in 2013. His research focuses on liquid metals-based functional materials and devices and organic semiconducting polymers for energy applications.