Self-packaged stretchable printed circuits with ligand-bound liquid metal particles in elastomer

Hyeonyeob Seo, Gun-Hee Lee, Jiwoo Park, Dong-Yeong Kim, Yeonzu Son, Semin Kim, Kum Seok Nam, Congqi Yang, Joonhee Won, Jae-Young Bae, Hyunjun Kim, Seung-Kyun Kang, Steve Park, Jiheong Kang () and Seongjun Park ()
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Hyeonyeob Seo: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Gun-Hee Lee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Jiwoo Park: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Dong-Yeong Kim: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Yeonzu Son: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Semin Kim: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Kum Seok Nam: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Congqi Yang: Seoul National University
Joonhee Won: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Jae-Young Bae: Seoul National University
Hyunjun Kim: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Seung-Kyun Kang: Seoul National University
Steve Park: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Jiheong Kang: Seoul National University
Seongjun Park: Seoul National University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Packaging in stretchable electronics is crucial to protect components from environmental damage while preserving mechanical flexibility and providing electrical insulation. The conventional packaging process involves multiple steps that increase in complexity as the number of circuit layers multiply. In this study, we introduce a self-packaged stretchable printed circuit board enabled by the in situ phase separation of liquid metal particles (LMPs) within various polymer matrices during solution-based printing processes. The ligand-bound LMPs (LB-LMPs), engineered to inhibit oxide growth, undergo in situ sintering, prompting vertical phase separation. This synthesis strategy not only achieves high initial conductivity of the LMPs but also encapsulates them within the polymer matrix, preventing leakage and providing electrical insulation. Our method enables multi-layer circuit printing, eliminating the need for additional activation and packaging processes. Furthermore, by integrating conductive materials into packaging layers for selective electrical conductivity, vertical interconnect accesses and conductive pads can be formed, enabling large-scale, stretchable, and leakage-free multi-layer electrical circuits and bio-interfaces.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60118-4

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